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Daughter Of The Vine

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<h2>XI</h2> They did not walk on the beach that evening, but sat about the fire, somewhat fatigued, but still in high spirits. Nina alone was quiet. After a time she stole away, and went down to the water. Thorpe was forced to infer that she wished to be alone, and did not follow her [Pg 111]at once. When at the end of a half-hour she had not returned, his ill-carried impatience mastered him. His feet made no sound on the sandy slope, nor on the beach. It was a night of perfect peace and calm and beauty. The ocean was quiet. The stars were thick; a thin young moon rode past them. But Nina was not within the flood of light about him. He turned the corner of a jutting rock, and came upon her. She was sitting on a high stone, her hands pressed hard on her knees, staring out to sea. Thorpe had seen her face bitter, tragic, passionate; but he had never seen it look as it looked to-night. It might have been the face of a woman cast up by the ocean, out of its depths, or a face of stone for forty years. All the youth and life were out of it. It was fixed, awful. Thorpe stood appalled. The sweet intercourse of the past week seemed annihilated, the woman removed from him by a sudden breach in time, or some tremendous crash in Circumstance. He dared not speak, offer her sympathy. He felt that whether she had loved him or not in this hour of abandonment [Pg 112]to her despair, he must be an insignificant feature in her life. He stole away and sat down, dropping his face in his hands. His brain, usually clear and precise, whirled disobediently. He felt helpless, his manhood worthless. Nothing but a jut of rock stood between himself and Nina Randolph, and it might have been the grave of one of them. Chaos was in him, a troop of hideous imaginings. He wondered vaguely if the mescal had affected him. It was cursed stuff, and the blood had been in his head ever since he had drunk it. He knelt down, and dashed the cold sea-water over his face and head, not once, but several times. When he stood up, his brain was cool and steady. “I must either go to her,” he thought, “or despise myself. It is not an intrusion; I certainly have my rights.” He went rapidly round the bend, and lifted her from the stone before she was aware of his presence, then held her at arm’s length, a hand on each shoulder. The fixity left the muscles of her face. They relaxed in terror. [Pg 113] “What is your secret?” he demanded, peremptorily. “Have you had a lover—a child? Is that it?” “No.” “On your word of honour?” “Yes.” “Are your parents unmarried?” “Not that I know of.” “Have you loved some man that is dead?” “I have never loved any man but you.” “Have you committed a crime? Are you in constant terror of discovery?” “I have never injured any one but myself.” “Is there insanity in the family, cancer, consumption?” “No.” “Then, in God’s name, what is it? I have the right to know, and I demand it; and the right to share your trouble and help you to bear it. I give you my word of honour that, no matter what it is, it shall make no difference to me.” She hung her head, and he felt her quiver from head to foot. Then she fell to weeping silently, without passion, but shaking painfully. He took her in his arms, and did what [Pg 114]he could to comfort her, and he could be very tender when he chose. Later, he coaxed and implored and threatened, but she would not speak. Once she made as if to cling to him, then put her arms behind her and clasped her hands together. The act was significant; but Thorpe took no notice of it. He knew now that it was going to be more difficult to marry her than he had anticipated, that infinite tact and patience would be necessary. After a time, he dried her eyes and led her up the hill to the door of her tent. The others were still about the fire, and she went in unseen. <hr class="large" /> <div style="break-after:column;"></div>

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