Edith could not read the whole. Arthur's postscript must be
omitted, as well as a portion of Nina's, but she did the best she
could, breaking down entirely when she reached the point where
Nina spoke of her Arthur boy's goodness in carrying her to the
window.
Richard, too, was much affected, and his voice trembled as he
said, "St. Claire is a noble fellow. I always felt strangely drawn
toward him. Isn't there something between him and Nina--something
more than mere guardianship?"
"They were engaged before she was crazy," returned Edith, while
Richard sighed, "poor boy, poor boy! It must be worse than death.
His darkness is greater than mine."
Then his thoughts came back to Edith's question, "May I go to
Nina?" and his first feeling was that she might, even though her
going would necessarily defer a day to which he was so continually
looking forward, but when he remembered the danger to which she
would be exposed from the intense heat at that season of the year,
he shrank from it at once, mildly but firmly refusing to let her
incur the fearful risk.
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