"I did not care what I did," she said brokenly. "I did not care for
Dick, and I did not care for myself. I cared for nothing. I was
desperate. Dick did not try to trap me, or be wicked to me. He asked me
to go with him, and I went of my own accord. But he was sorry
afterwards, Roger. He said so when he was ill. He wanted to keep me from
the river. He could not bear the thought of my drowning myself. Often,
often when he was delirious, he spoke of it, and tried to hold me back.
And you said he wouldn't take any trouble. But he did. He did, Roger. He
made his will at the last, when it was all he could do, and he
remembered about Hulver--I know he said you ought to have it--and that
he must provide for Mary and the child. His last strength went in making
his will, Roger. His last thought was for you, and that poor Mary and
the child."
Already she had forgotten herself, and was pleading earnestly for the
man who had brought her to this pass.
Roger stood silent, save for his hard breathing. Did he understand? We
all know that "To endure and to pardon is the wisdom of life." But if we
are called on to pardon just at the moment we are called on to endure!
What then? Have we _ever_ the strength to do both at the same moment? He
did not speak. The twilight deepened. The moon drew clear of the
hawthorn.
"You must go to Fontainebleau," she went on, "and find the doctor. I
don't know his name, but it will be easy to find him. And he will
remember. He was so interested in poor Dick. And he brought the notary.
He will tell you who has the will. I remember now I was one of the
witnesses."
"You witnessed it!" said Roger, astounded. His stick fell from his
hands. He looked at it on the ground, but made no motion to pick it up.
"Yes, I witnessed it. Dick asked me to. Everything will come right now.
He wanted dreadfully to make it right. But you must forget about me,
Roger. I've been here under false pretences. I shall go away. I ought
never to have come, but I didn't know you and Janey were Dick's people.
He was always called Dick Le Geyt. And when I came to be friends with
you both, I often wished to tell you, even before I knew you were his
relations. But I had promised Mrs. Stoddart not to speak of it to anyone
except----"
"Except who?" said Roger.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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