nces had done in
giving him her unmeasured love when she knew that she could not give
herself, and he spoke from the midst of his pain:--

"I know that I am not worthy to be your husband. Even had you not taken
so great pains to tell me, but had been willing to wreck your life by
marrying me, I should not have accepted the sacrifice. From the first, my
love for you has been the one unselfish impulse of my life, and since I
have almost lost hope of ever being worthy of you, I should not have
permitted you to share my wretched life, even had you been willing. But
for you to come to me and to give me your love, only to snatch it back
again before I have had time to refuse the sacrifice, is cruel."

"I do not snatch my love back again," she answered pleadingly. "I could
not if I would. I have given it to you for life, and it is beyond recall.
It is yours forever and forever--all of which my poor aching heart is
capable. Would you rather it had lain in my breast unspoken, through all
the long years I have to live? You say your love is unselfish--"

"If there's anything unselfish in me," interrupted Hamilton.

"Yes, I believe it is unselfish to the extent that a man's love may be,"
returned Frances, defending herself. "But if it is, surely you would not
deny me the joy of telling you of mine, when it is all the happiness I
shall ever know my whole life through. You say, with truth, I believe,
that you would not permit me to share your fate if I would, because you
fear to make me unhappy. Yet you complain and say that I am cruel because
I take now what joy I can at so shameful a sacrifice of womanly pride and
modesty. You say that I am cruel because I cannot give you all--myself. I
would share your fortunes unhesitatingly were it not that I dare not give
one thought to my own happiness."

She paused for a moment to gather self-control, and when she was more
calm, proceeded with her defence: "I belong to my father and to my house,
and God has appointed me to lift them from their fallen estate. I cannot
give you myself, but I do give you my love for the sheer ecstasy of
giving, and beg you to accept it as all that I have to offer and to give
me the sweet privilege of keeping yours, which. I know is mine, that it
may warm my heart in the weary years to come. I wonder if you, being a
man, can understand it all. I hardly understand it myself, but this I
know: I have done what I have done because I could not help it, and you
say