'Something has happened,' she said. 'And why did you keep whispering
"yes, yes"? Whom were you whispering to?'
The truth was that, in that dreadful trance, my conscience had been
saying to me, 'Have you a right to exercise your power over this girl
by leading her like a lamb to death?' and my love had replied, 'Yes,
ten thousand times yes.'
'Winifred,' I said, 'I would die for you.'
'Yes, Henry,' said she, 'I know it; but what have we to do with death
now?'
'To save you from harm this flesh of mine would rejoice at
crucifixion; to save you from death this soul and body of mine would
rejoice to endure a thousand years of hell-fire.'
She turned pale, amazed at the delirium into which I had passed.
'To save you from harm, dear, I would,' said I, with a quiet
fierceness that scared her, 'immolate the whole human race--mothers,
and fathers, and children; I would make a hecatomb of them all to
save this body of yours, this sweet body, alive.'
But I could not proceed. What I had meant to say was this,--
'And yet, Winnie, I have brought you here to this boulder to die!'
But I could not say it--my tongue rebelled and would not say it.
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