Her dilated eyes were fixed upon him. “But--” she could scarce form utterance, “but you?” “I have got myself ready,” he said. “Did you think--why, what did you think?” She recoiled a step. “What are you going--” She put her two hands to her head. “Oh, God!” she almost shrieked, “you are going--” He made a step, and would have put his arm round her, but she backed against the wall, staring speechless at him. “I am not going to let him shoot me,” he said quietly. “You mean--you mean--but you can come away!” she cried. “It’s not too late yet. You can take yourself out of his reach. Everybody knows that you are brave. What is he to you? You can leave him in this place. I’ll go with you anywhere. To any house, to the mountains, to anywhere away. We’ll leave this horrible place together and--and--oh, won’t you listen to me?” She stretched her hands to him. “Won’t you listen?” He took her hands. “I must stay here.” Her hands clung to his. “No, no, no. There’s something else. There’s something better than shedding blood in cold blood. Only think what it means! Only think of having to remember such a thing! Why, it’s what they hang people for! It’s murder!” He dropped her hands. “Don’t call it that name,” he said sternly. “When there was the choice!” she exclaimed, half to herself, like a person stunned and speaking to the air. “To get ready for it when you have the choice!” “He did the choosing,” answered the Virginian. “Listen to me. Are you listening?” he asked, for her gaze was dull. She nodded. “I work hyeh. I belong hyeh. It’s my life. If folks came to think I was a coward--” “Who would think you were a coward?” “Everybody. My friends would be sorry and ashamed, and my enemies would walk around saying they had always said so. I could not hold up my head again among enemies or friends.” “When it was explained--” “There’d be nothing to explain. There’d just be the fact.” He was nearly angry. “There is a higher courage than fear of outside opinion,” said the New England girl. Her Southern lover looked at her. “Cert’nly there is. That’s what I’m showing in going against yours.” “But if you know that you are brave, and if I know that you are brave, oh, my dear, my dear! what difference does the world make? How much higher courage to go your own course--”