Take it easy. I'll hold your head up. Endure it. Live
through it. Don't fight it. Make yourself slack--slack in your
mind; and your body will slack. Yield. Remember how you taught me
to yield to the undertow."
An unusually large breaker for so mild a surf curled overhead, and
he climbed out on her again, sinking both of them under as the
wave-crest over-fell and smashed down.
"Forgive me," he mumbled through pain clenched teeth, as they drew
in their first air again. "And leave me." He spoke jerkily, with
pain-filled pauses between his sentences. "There is no need for
both of us to drown. I've got to go. It will be in my stomach, at
any moment, and then I'll drag you under, and be unable to let go
of you. Please, please, dear, keep away. One of us is enough.
You've plenty to live for."
She looked at him in reproach so deep that the last vestige of the
terror of death was gone from her eyes. It was as if she had said,
and more than if she had said: "I have only you to live for."
Then Sonny did not count with her as much as he did!--was Barton's
exultant conclusion.
Pages:
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282