But he is only Baldos, in spite of it
all. He knows that I care for him, and I know that he cares for me.
Perhaps he has told you."
"Yes, he has confessed that he loves you, Miss Calhoun, and he laments
the fact that his love seems hopeless. Paul wonders in his heart if it
would be right in him to ask you to give up all you have of wealth and
pleasure to share a humble lot with him."
"I love him. Isn't that enough? There is no wealth so great as
that. But," and she pursed her mouth in pathetic despair, "don't you
think that you can make a noble or something of him and give him a
station in life worthy of his ambitions? He has done so much for you,
you know."
"I have nothing that I can give to him, he says. Paul Baldos asks only
that he may be my champion until these negotiations are ended. Then he
desires to be free to serve whom he will. All that I can do is to let
him have his way. He is a freelance and he asks no favors, no help."
"Well, I think he's perfectly ridiculous about it, don't you? And yet,
that is the very thing I like in him. I am only wondering how we--I
mean, how he is going to live, that's all."
"If I am correctly informed he still has several months to serve in the
service for which he enlisted. You alone, I believe, have the power to
discharge him before his term expires," said he meaningly.
That night Baldos returned to Edelweiss, ahead of the Graustark
delegation which was coming the next day with representatives from
Dawsbergen.
Pages:
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337