"To her--I played the game of mercy to her!" she cried. "And she has his
love, the love which I rejected once, and which I want now--to my shame!
A hateful and terrible love. I, who ought to say to him, as I so long
determined: 'You shall be destroyed. You killed my sister, poor Alo; if
not with a knife yourself you killed her heart, and that is just the
same.' I never knew until now what a heart is when killed."
She caught her breast as though it hurt her, and, after a moment,
continued: "Do hearts always ache so when they love? I was the wife of a
good man oh! he WAS a good man, who sinned for me. I see it now!--and I
let him die--die alone!" She shuddered. "Oh, now I see, and I know what
love such as his can be! I am punished--punished! for my love is
impossible, horrible."
There was a long silence, in which she sat looking at the floor, her face
all grey with pain. At last the door of the room softly opened, and
Justine entered.
"May I come in, madame?" she said.
"Yes, come, Justine." The voice was subdued, and there was in it what
drew the girl swiftly to the side of Mrs. Falchion.
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