Page:Later Life (1919).djvu/294

286 of you, Mamma. . . then it is not for me to object. . ."

She thought him almost cold; but he kissed her, said that he, whatever happened, would remain the child and the son of both of them, that he would love them both, equally. ..

But, because of that coldness, the shadow of a doubt suddenly crossed her mind; and it seemed as though her dreams grew dark and cloudy. ..

"Addie," she asked again, "tell me frankly, tell me honestly that I am right, that it will be a good thing . . . for Papa . . ."

"And for you? . . ."

"And for me," she echoed; and he saw her blush. "Or . . . or, Addie, my boy, my darling, is . . . is it all too late? Is it too late . . . for Papa's happiness?"

"And for yours too, you mean . . . Too late? Why should it be too late?"

She looked at him, thought him hard, but guessed that he was suffering more than he was willing to admit. ..

"I thought first . . . of Papa's happiness, Addie," she said, softly. "Because Papa has never been happy with me . . . with me who took everything from him and gave him nothing in return, I thought first of all . . . of Papa's happiness and afterwards . . . afterwards . . ."

"Afterwards . . . ?"