"But why--why did you do it?"
"You asked me to save your brother, and I could see no other way--"
"How so? Please explain."
"I meant to free him from the debt which is crushing him down and
unmanning him."
"But--oh, don't you see--he would still be in debt--to you?"
"I had forgotten that!" sighed Barnabas.
"Forgotten it?" she repeated.
"Quite!"
Surely no man could lie, whose eyes were so truthful and steadfast.
"And so you went and offered to--buy up his debts?"
"Yes."
"For three times the proper sum?"
"I would have paid whatever was asked."
"Why?"
"Because I promised you to help him," answered Barnabas, staring at
the ground again.
"You must be--very rich?" said Cleone, stealing another look at him.
"I am."
"And--supposing you had taken over the debt, who did you think would
ever repay you?"
"It never occurred to me."
"And you would have done--all this for a--stranger?"
"No, but because of the promise I gave."
"To me?"
"Yes,--but, as God sees me, I would have looked for no recompense at
your hands."
"Never?"
"Never--unless--"
"Unless, sir?"
"Unless I--I had dreamed it possible that you--could ever
have--loved me.
Pages:
423
424
425
426
427
428
429
430
431
432
433
434
435
436
437
438
439
440
441
442
443
444
445
446
447