Page:The Portrait of a Lady (1882).djvu/515

507 THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY. 507 " Oh no ; I don't think anything is over." " Are you going back to him 1 " Ralph stammered. " I don't know I can't tell. I shall stay here as long as I may. I don't want to think I needn't think. I don't care for anything but you, and that is enough for the present. It will last a little yet. Here on my knees, with you dying in my arms, I am happier than I have been for a long time. And I want you to be happy not to think of anything sad ; only to feel that I am near you and I love you. Why should there be pain ? In such hours as this what have we to do with pain 1 That is not the deepest thing ; there is something deeper." Ealph evidently found, from moment to moment, greater difficulty in speaking ; he had to wait longer to collect himself. At first he appeared to make no response to these last words ; he let a long time elapse. Then he murmured simply " You must stay here." " I should like to stay, as long as seems right." " As seems right as seems right 1 " He repeated her words. " Yes, you think a great deal about that." " Of course one must. You are very tired," said Isabel. " I am very tired. You said just now that pain is not the deepest thing. No no. But it is very deep. If I could stay " For me you will always be here," she softly interrupted. It was easy to interrupt him. But he went on, after a moment " It passes, after all ; it's passing now. But love remains. I don't know why we should suffer so much. Perhaps I shall find out. There are many things in life ; you are very young." " I feel very old," said Isabel. " You will grow young again. That's how I see you. I don't believe I don't believe " And he stopped again; his strength failed him. She begged him to be quiet now. " We needn't speak to understand each other," she said. " I don't believe that such a generous mistake as yours can hurt you for more than a little." " Oh, Ralph, I am very happy now," she cried, through her tears. " And remember this," he continued, " that if you have been hated, you have also been loved." " Ah, my brother ! " she cried, with a movement of still deeper prostration.