She suddenly broke into tears and loud sobs.
Touched with remorse, he stopped and put his arms about her.
"Mother, mother, don't! I can't bear to see you cry so. But,
indeed, you are unreasonable. Didn't you ever think the time
would come when I would want to marry, like other men?"
"No, no! And I will not have it--I cannot bear it, Chester. You
must promise not to go to see her again. I won't go into the
house this night until you do. I'll stay out here in the bitter
cold until you promise to put her out of your thoughts."
"That's beyond my power, mother. Oh, mother, you're making it
hard for me. Come in, come in! You're shivering with cold now.
You'll be sick."
"Not a step will I stir till you promise. Say you won't go to
see that girl any more, and there's nothing I won't do for you.
But if you put her before me, I'll not go in--I never will go
in."
With most women this would have been an empty threat; but it was
not so with Thyra, and Chester knew it. He knew she would keep
her word. And he feared more than that. In this frenzy of hers
what might she not do? She came of a strange breed, as had been
said disapprovingly when Luke Carewe married her. There was a
strain of insanity in the Lincolns. A Lincoln woman had drowned
herself once. Chester thought of the river, and grew sick with
fright. For a moment even his passion for Damaris weakened
before the older tie.
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