I cannot live without
you. Do not send me away now. It is too late."
Her knees gave way. She sank slowly to the bench,--and still she
looked into his gleaming eyes.
He came to her. She was in his arms. His face was close to hers,
his breath was on her cheek....
"No! No!" she almost shrieked, and wrenched herself free. "Not now!
Not here! Give me time--give me time to think!"
She had sprung to her feet and was glaring at him with the eyes of
an animal at bay. He fell back in astonishment.
"You--you had no right to follow me here," she was crying. "You had
no right! This place is sacred. It is sanctuary." Her voice broke.
"My mother was born in this room. She died in this room. And I was
born here. Go! Please go!"
He controlled himself. He held back those words that were on his
tongue, ready to be flung out at her: "Yes, and in this room you
behaved like hell with David Strong!" But he checked them in time.
He lowered his head.
"Forgive me, Alix," he said abjectly. "I--I did not know. I was
wrong to follow you here. I could not help myself. I was mad to
see you. Nothing could have stopped me." He looked up, struck by a
sudden thought. "You call this sanctuary. It is a sacred place to
you. Will you make it sacred to me? Promise here and now, in this
sanctuary of yours, to be my wife, and all my life it shall be the
most sacred spot on earth.
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