"I'm incapable of judging. I only know
that I crave her with everything in me. I've got it in my brain
that she's my soul's salvation. Is my brain right? I don't know. I
come to you--a clean, sweet man who knows everything--I don't
think there's a crime on my conscience or a foulness in my nature
which I haven't confessed to you. You can judge straight as I
can't. What answer shall I give to-morrow?"
Did ever man, in a case of conscience, have a greater
responsibility? God forgive me if I solved it wrongly. At any
rate, He knows that I was uninfluenced by mean personal
considerations. All my life I have tried to have an honourable
gentleman and a Christian man. According to my lights I saw only
one clear course.
"Sit down, old man," said I. "You're a bit too big for me like
that." He felt for his chair, sat down and leaned back. "You've
done almost everything," I continued, "that a man can do in
expiation of offences. But there is one thing more that you must
do in order to find peace. You couldn't find peace if you married
Betty and left her in ignorance. You must tell Betty everything--
everything that you have told me. Otherwise you would still be
hag-ridden.
Pages:
443
444
445
446
447
448
449
450
451
452
453
454
455
456
457
458
459
460
461
462
463
464
465
466
467