Julian was as far as ever from suspecting
her, even yet. "Do you wish to be alone?" he asked,
considerately. "Shall I leave you for a while and return again?"
She looked up with a start of terror. "Leave me?" she repeated,
and suddenly checked herself on the point of saying more. Nearly
half the length of the room divided them from each other. The
words which she was longing to say were words that would never
pass her lips unless she could see some encouragement in his
face. "No!" she cried out to him, on a sudden, in her sore need,
"don't leave me! Come back to me!"
He obeyed her in silence. In silence, on her side, she pointed to
the chair near her. He took it. She looked at him, and checked
herself again; resolute to make her terrible confession, yet
still hesitating how to begin. Her woman's instinct whispered to
her, "Find courage in his touch!" She said to him, simply and
artlessly said to him, "Give me encouragement. Give me strength.
Let me take your hand." He neither answered nor moved. His mind
seemed to have become suddenly preoccupied; his eyes rested on
her vacantly. He was on the brink of discovering her secret; in
another instant he would have found his way to the truth.
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