You know what marriage
is! And what it must be without love on both sides."
The minister had grown quite heated and red in the face.
"I lose all patience!" he went on vehemently. "This poor
child of yours has somehow been brought to believe that it
will kill her sister if her sister does not have what
does not belong to her, and what it is not in the power
of all the world, or any soul in the world, to give her.
Her sister will suffer--yes, keenly!--in heart and
in pride; but she will not die. You will suffer too,
in your tenderness for her; but you must do your duty.
You must help her to give up. You would be guilty if you
did less. Keep clearly in mind that you are doing right,
and the only possible good. And God be with you!"
XIX.
"HE talked sense, Persis," said Lapham gently, as he
mounted to his wife's side in the buggy and drove slowly
homeward through the dusk.
"Yes, he talked sense," she admitted. But she added bitterly,
"I guess, if he had it to DO! Oh, he's right, and it's
got to be done. There ain't any other way for it.
It's sense; and, yes, it's justice." They walked to their
door after they left the horse at the livery stable around
the corner, where Lapham kept it. "I want you should
send Irene up to our room as soon as we get in, Silas."
"Why, ain't you going to have any supper first?"
faltered Lapham with his latch-key in the lock.
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