The secrecy of the business she did not like; but she told herself it
would all come right; that it was necessary under the circumstances and
that afterwards when she had been taught and trained in the ways of his
people she would come back and all would be well.
Then in the midst of all this looking into the future with its doubts
and promises, came the thought of Robert, and her pulses thrilled and
her blood quickened; but it had come too late.
Would she rather be at Rundell House as Peter's wife or sitting in a
one-roomed apartment sewing pit clothes perhaps, or washing and
scrubbing in the slavery in which the women folk of her class generally
lived? Ah, yes, as Robert's wife that would have been happiness. But it
was all too late now. She had turned aside--and she must pay the penalty
of it all.
Long she sat, and cried, and at last realizing that she was cold and
shivering, she took off her clothes and crawled off to bed, her last
thought of Robert as he had left her, the pain in his eyes and the awful
agony in his voice: "Oh, Mysie, how I hae loved you! An' I thocht you
cared for me!" rang in her ears as she lay and tossed in sleepless
misery.
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