Page:Mehalah 1920.djvu/278

268 "I have it here," she said; "I have not cast it off, and I shall not cast you off. I have fastened it by a string and carry it in my bosom." He seemed pleased. "You wear it for my sake?"

"I wear it," she replied, truthfully, "because I took a solemn oath on that day, and I will not go from it. What I undertook that I will fulfil, neither more nor less. What I did not promise I will not do, what I did undertake that I will execute." "And you bear the ring in your bosom" "As a reminder to me of my promise. I will not be false to myself or to you. Do not press me further. You know what to expect and what not to expect. If I could love you I would; but I cannot. I did not promise that then and I will not promise it now, for I know the performance is out of my power."

"You must wear the wedding ring on your finger." "I cannot wear this link, it is too large." "I will get you a gold ring, such as other women wear." "No. I cannot wear a lie; the gold ring belongs to the perfect marriage, to the union of hearts. It befits not ours." "You are right," he said, and sighed. He still held her hand; she made a slight effort to withdraw it, but he clasped the hand the tighter. "Let me touch and hold you, Glory," he said. "Remember I can no more see you, except mistily. You must allow me some compensation. I know what you are now, sitting here in the sun, with your hair full of rich coppery gleams, and your eyes full of light and darkness at once, and your cheek like a ripe apricot. I know what you are, splendid, noble, as no other girl in the whole world; but you have shut my eyes, that I may not see you, so allow me, at least, to feel you." He paused. Then he went on: "You are right, our union is unlike any other, as you and I are different from all others in the world. The married life of some is smooth and shining and rustless like the gold, but ours is quite contrary, it is rough and dark and full of blisters and canker. It may be different some day" he turned his dim eyes enquiringly at her, "but not now, not now. Nevertheless as the ring is