Page:Adams - A Child of the Age.djvu/214

202 I used to feel as if I must get up that very moment, and go and find you, and hold you in my arms and love you. I couldn't help it! I know I shall be punished for it; I suppose I must be!—Then, you see, you came back, and we had those walks together. I knew you didn't care for me; but you were ''so much to me. I couldn't do without you''!'

To watch the child as she sat, looking with her dreamy, unfathomed eyes into the fire, and to hear her telling her story in this way! I drew myself up beside her, and put my arm round her shoulders, leaning her body against mine. She did not seem to notice my movement, or to feel my arm round her shoulders. She was silently gazing before her. 'Rosy,' I said, 'Rosebud,' rubbing my cheek softly against hers, 'I would do anything, if it were only true, to make you happy. I would marry you tomorrow if it were not for those … those words that would be so false in my mouth, that I could not utter them. I could not do that. But there are other ways of marrying people, now I think of it. I will find out about them. Then, you see, you would be my wife: I mean, as far as having my name; so that no one could think or say anything against you.' (She was shaking her head.) 'Nay,' I said, smiling, 'can't you see that in this way you would have a greater, a more lawful claim, as you might say, upon me, in case I ever did want to marry any one—with the marriage-service and the rest of it?' I was smiling. 'No,' she said; 'I wouldn't care about that. Not one bit!'

'But suppose,' I said, 'suppose I ever did fall in love with any one, and did want to marry them?… What then.?'

'Then you'd have to, that's all!' she said.

'But what would you do?'

'I'd go away, and never see you again!'

'I hope you wouldn't. Rosy! I hope you never would, whatever comes or goes. You would always let me be your friend.'

'While some other woman had you? That's likely! Oh, you don't know what love is!'