And then Dugald Shaw took me in his arms.
By and by he said huskily:
"Beloved, I had no right to ask you to share such a life as mine
must be--the life of a poor sailor."
At this I raised my head from its nestling-place and laughed.
"Ask me? Silly, I asked you! Of course you could have refused me,
but I depended on your not having the courage."
"And indeed that is a charge I'll not allow--that I am so little of
a man as to let my courting be done for me. No, no, it was my love
compelling you that made you speak the words you did--the love of a
selfish man who should have thought only of shielding you from the
hardships of such a wandering, homeless life as mine."
"Well, Heaven reward you for your selfishness," I said earnestly.
"I am thankful you were not so noble as to let me throw myself at
your head in vain. I have been doing it for ever so long, in fact,
but it is such a thick Scotch head that I dare say I made no
impression."
"Sweet imp! You'll pay for that--oh, Virginia, if I had only
something to offer you!"
"You can offer me something that I want very much, if you will, and
at no cost but to your strong right arm."
"It is an arm which is at your service for life--but what am I to
do with it now? And indeed I think it is very well employed at
this moment."
"But it must be employed much more strenuously," I remarked, moving
a little away, "if you are to get me what I want.
Pages:
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256