Perhaps the proud
young wife had never realized before how completely her husband loved
her. This temporary parting was to him a real pain.
A few days before it took place he began to look pale and ill. She saw
that he could not eat, that he did not sleep or rest. Her heart was
touched by his simple fidelity, his passionate love, although the one
fell purpose of her life remained unchanged.
"If you dislike going, Vere," she said to him one day, "do not go--stay
at Verdun Royal."
"The world would laugh if I did that, Philippa," he returned; "it would
guess at once what was the reason, because every one knows how dearly I
love you. We should be called _Darby_ and _Joan_."
"No one would ever dare to call me _Joan_," she said, "for I have
nothing of _Joan_ in me."
The duke sighed--perhaps he thought that it would be all the better if
she had; but, fancying there was something, after all, slightly
contemptuous in her manner, as though she thought it unmanly in him to
repine about leaving her, he said no more.
One warm, brilliant day he took leave of her and she was left to work
out her purpose.
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