He looked at her irresolutely. Her drooping figure, her averted face, her trembling voice--they were all such a plea of weakness to strength, of feminine trust to masculine power to help, that even if he had not loved her the impulse to take her in his arms and comfort her would have been well-nigh overpowering. But he knew not what unexpected visage her spirit might next reveal and he had already learned that, although the primitive woman in her might call loudly one moment, in the next the civilized woman would thrust her into her cave and in dignity and strength stand guard at the door. For a moment he wavered, then with clenched hands turned on his heel and walked across the room, exclaiming: “And you won’t let me stop it, you won’t let me comfort you!” Then he faced about and as his eyes fell again upon her, he cried, “By heaven, I will!” And he sprang toward her. But already she had gathered up her resolution once more and it was the civilized woman, not to be won save with her own consent, who moved aside and eluded the embrace with which he would have swept her to his breast. He dropped on his knees at her feet and buried his face in her dress. A moment she stood with both hands clenched against her heart. Then she bent over him and laid them as softly upon his head as a compassionate mother might have done. “Don’t Jeff, please don’t!” she pleaded. “It’s so hard already--don’t make it harder, for both of us. We’ll have to just recognize what is, and accept it.” He rose again, seizing one of her hands as it fell from his head. “But what is, Rhoda, except that we love each other with such strength that God who made us must have meant us to be husband and wife? What else is there that matters, beside that?” “I’ve told you so often, dear, what it is that matters!” “What do you want me to do, dear heart? I’ll free my slaves, if you wish, and pay them wages.” Her face lighted and she smiled wistfully at him, but shook her head. “It’s deeper than that, Jeff, deeper than just the ownership of a few slaves. I knew you would do that, for my sake. I told myself so--” she broke off, smiled fondly upon him, then laid her free hand upon the two already clasped.