Page:In Maremma, by Ouida (vol 2).djvu/255

 come; he will feel that I have not kept faith with him.'

'I wish that he should feel that. If you do so, I will go over to Orbetello and give myself up to the law.'

'That is madness.'

'I swear that I will surrender myself if you meet this man,'

He spoke now with both a petulance and a passion that carried truth with them. For the moment he meant what he said; for the moment nothing on earth seemed of any import to him except to keep her there.

She grew pale, and her dauntless temper did not rise in revolt.

'You will make me break my word!' she said, with a wistfulness of appeal in her voice.

'Yes; I will make you break it, or I will keep mine and give myself to the galleys.'

'I will not go,' she said with a humility of obedience utterly alien to her nature. 'I will not go. But it is folly; and I am afraid that harm will come of it.'

'Let come what will,' said Este, with a