His shoulders were
heaving and his whole body was racked with sobs.
Shocked, frightened, Alaire tried to raise him, but he encircled
her in a tighter embrace.
"Dave! What is it? What have I done?" she implored. "Have I hurt
you so?"
It was a long time before he could make known the significance of
that paragraph, and when he finally managed to tell her about the
terrible fear that had lain so heavily upon his soul it was in
broken, choking words which showed his deep emotion. The story was
out at last, however, and he stood over her transfigured.
Alaire lifted her arms and placed them upon his shoulders. "Were
you going to give me up for that?--for a shadow?"
"Yes. I had made up my mind. I wouldn't have dared marry you last
night, but--I never expected to see today's sun. I didn't think it
would make much difference. It was more than a shadow, Alaire. It
was real. I WAS mad--stark, staring mad--or in a fair way of
becoming so. I suppose I brooded too much. Those violent spells,
those wild moments I sometimes have, made me think it must be
true. I dare say they are no more than temper, but they seemed to
prove all that Ellsworth suspected.
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