He had done his commission, and the fewer
words which he might have with the Jew after that the better.
On the following morning Nina was seated by her father's bedside, when
her quick ear caught through the open door the sound of a footstep in
the hall below. She looked for a moment at the old man, and saw that if
not sleeping he appeared to sleep. She leaned over him for a moment,
gave one gentle touch with her hand to the bed-clothes, then crept out
into the parlour, and closed behind her the door of the bed-room. When
in the middle of the outer chamber she listened again, and there was
clearly a step on the stairs. She listened again, and she knew that the
step was the step of her lover. He had come to her at last, then. Now,
at this moment, she lost all remembrance of her need of forgiving him.
Forgiving him! What could there be to be forgiven to one who could make
her so happy as she felt herself to be at this moment? She opened the
door of the room just as he had raised his hand to knock, and threw
herself into his arms.
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