You'll live, and you'll be very sorry then that you weren't
sorry for me. Perhaps Torp will come back or . . . I wish I could go to Torp
and the Nilghai, even though I were in their way."
Pussy left the room before the speech was ended, and Alf, as he entered, found
Dick addressing the empty hearth-rug.
"There's a letter for you, sir," he said. "Perhaps you'd like me to read it."
"Lend it to me for a minute and I'll tell you."
The outstretched hand shook just a little and the voice was not over-steady. It
was within the limits of human possibility that--that was no letter from
Maisie. He knew the heft of three closed envelopes only too well. It was a
foolish hope that the girl should write to him, for he did not realise that
there is a wrong which admits of no reparation though the evildoer may with
tears and the heart's best love strive to mend all. It is best to forget that
wrong whether it be caused or endured, since it is as remediless as bad work
once put forward.
"Read it, then," said Dick, and Alf began intoning according to the rules of
the Board School--"'I could have given you love, I could have given you
loyalty, such as you never dreamed of. Do you suppose I cared what you were?
But you chose to whistle everything down the wind for nothing.
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