"Swear to me!" she panted; then, as if ashamed of the passion that
racked her, her eyes dropped and the swift red flooded her face. "No!
you shall not swear to me, Stafford. I--I will believe you love me as I
shall love you forever and forever! But if--if the time should come
when some other girl shall win you from me, promise me that you will
not tell me, that you will just keep away from me! I could bear it
if--if I did not see you; but if I saw you--Oh!"--something like a moan
escaped her quivering lips, and she flung herself upon his breast with
the _abandon_, the unself-consciousness of a child.
Stafford was moved to his inmost heart, and for a moment, as he held
her within the embrace of his strong arms, he could not command his
voice sufficiently for speech. At last he murmured, his lips seeking
hers:
"Ida! I swear that I will love you forever and forever!"
"But--but--if you break your vow, you promise that you will not come to
me--tell me? I shall know. Promise, ah, promise!"
"Will nothing less content you? Must I?" he said, almost desperate at
her persistence. "Then I promise, Ida!"
CHAPTER XIX.
Pages:
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303