You must not stain your soul with a perjured vow, and you
would, were this sacrifice to be. Your lips would say 'I love,'
but your heart would belie the words, and God's curse will rest
upon you if you do Richard this cruel wrong. He does not deserve
that you should deal so treacherously with him, and Miggie, I
would far rather you were lying in the grave-yard over yonder,
than to do this great wickedness. You must not, you shall not,"
and in the eyes of violet blue there was an expression beneath
which the stronger eyes of black quailed as they had done once
before, when delirium had set its mark upon them.
It was in vain that Edith persisted in saying she did, or at least
should love Richard as he deserved. Nina was not to be convinced,
and at last, in self-defence, Edith broke out bitterly against
Arthur as the immediate cause of her sufferings. Had he not been
faithless to his marriage vow, and might she not keep hers quite
as well as he kept his.
Nina was very white, and the swollen veins stood out full upon her
forehead as she lay panting on her pillow, but the eyes never for
an instant left Edith's, as she replied, "Arthur was in fault,
Miggie, greatly in fault, but there was much to excuse his error.
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