Respectability was his god, as he knew it was the god of
his parents. Money might save him; but there was something repugnant in
the thought of leaving the whole burden of disgrace upon Mysie. For,
after all, the fault was wholly his, and it was his duty to face the
consequences. Still if a way could be found of getting over it in an
easy way it would be better. But he would leave that till the evening
when he had learned from Mysie, whether his fears were correct or not,
and then a way might be found out of the difficulty.
But the day seemed long in passing, and by the time the clock chimed
nine he was in a fever of excitement, and pained and ill with dread.
Yet he was late when it came the hour, and Mysie was there first and had
already met Robert before he reached the grove.
When Robert had gone away, and she sat crying upon the moor, she felt
indeed as if the whole world was slipping from her and that her life was
finished. Only ruin, black, unutterable, stared her in the face. Oh, if
only Robert had spoken sooner, she thought. If only that terrible
beautiful night with its moonlight witchery had not been lived as it had
been! If only something had intervened to prevent what had happened!
And she sobbed in her despair, knowing what was before her and learning
all too late, that Robert was the man she loved and wanted.
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