“How could you be so long?” she asked. “Never mind, I’ve got you now. It is over.”
Anger and sorrow filled him. “I might have known some fool would tell you,” he said.
“It’s all over. Never mind.” Her arms tightened their hold of him. Then she let him go. “What shall we do?” she said. “What now?”
“Now?” he answered. “Nothing now.”
She looked at him without understanding.
“I know it is a heap worse for you,” he pursued, speaking slowly. “I knew it would be.”
“But it is over!” she exclaimed again.
He did not understand her now. He kissed her. “Did you think it was over?” he said simply. “There is some waiting still before us. I wish you did not have to wait alone. But it will not be long.” He was looking down, and did; not see the happiness grow chilled upon her face, and then fade into bewildered fear. “I did my best, he went on. “I think I did. I know I tried. I let him say to me before them all what no man has ever said, or ever will again. I kept thinking hard of you--with all my might, or I reckon I’d have killed him right there. And I gave him a show to change his mind. I gave it to him twice. I spoke as quiet as I am speaking to you now. But he stood to it. And I expect he knows he went too far in the hearing of others to go back on his threat. He will have to go on to the finish now.”
“The finish?” she echoed, almost voiceless.
“Yes,” he answered very gently.
Her dilated eves were fixed upon him. “But--” she could scarce form utterance, “but you?”
“I have got myself ready,” he said. “Did you think--why, what did you think?”
She recoiled a step. “What are you going--” She put her two hands to her head. “Oh, God!” she almost shrieked, “you are going--” He made a step, and would have put his arm round her, but she backed against the wall, staring speechless at him.
“I am not going to let him shoot me,” he said quietly.
“You mean--you mean--but you can come away!” she cried. “It’s not too late yet. You can take yourself out of his reach. Everybody knows that you are brave. What is he to you? You can leave him in this place. I’ll go with you anywhere. To any house, to the mountains, to anywhere away. We’ll leave this horrible place together and--and--oh, won’t you listen to me?” She stretched her hands to him. “Won’t you listen?”
He took her hands. “I must stay here.”
Her hands clung to his. “No, no, no. There’s something else. There’s something better than shedding blood in cold blood. Only think what it means! Only think of having to remember such a thing! Why, it’s what they hang people for! It’s murder!”
He dropped her hands. “Don’t call it that name,” he said sternly.
“When there was the choice!” she exclaimed, half to herself, like a person stunned and speaking to the air. “To get ready for it when you have the choice!”