e clinging to her!

"That was never done among the Basins, Notely. When we are married we
promise, and we hold to it till death. It would never seem to me that
I was your wife, but wicked and false to you and her--always that. I
would rather die!"

"My Vesty, the Basin is a little, little part of the world, and
ignorant of life. I tell you what is right. You used to have faith in
me--so much that, if you would, you might still believe in me and my
ceaseless love for you. Do you think that I will ever leave you here?
My mother wants you and the child: we will be happy together at last,
with such quiet or such pleasures as you will. My quarries are turning
out wealth for me--it is for you and Gurdon's child. Think of Gurdon's
little boy!"

As he spoke, Vesty seemed to see again a pale face with a great light
upon it, turning without question to its stern duty.

"Notely, Gurdon gave me up, and the baby that he worshipped; though I
clung to him, he put us by, because, though it was hard, it was
right--it was the only way. I think it is often so between those two,
the right and what we want. I think that love, somehow, in this world
seems to be putting by--putting by what we want."

Vesty struggled again in her dim way.

"Why need it be?" cried Notely sharply. He raised himself on the
pillows as if stung; a deep crimson rushed to his cheeks.

"It is," said Vesty sadly, quietly--"it is. What we want--putting by.
Do you think I did not care for you?"

His haggard face turned to her.

"Will not always care for you? But you will never be a great man till
you can put by what you want, when they stand against each other, for
what is right, though it be hard. Then one would not only admire and
love you; they would trust you to death's door, though all the way was
hard."

Notely had no answer for the tongue-loosed Basin. Besides, her words
had comforted him, her tears fell on him.

"I do not think," she said, with a look and voice of such tenderness,
as though it were her farewell, "that it was all to us, that I should
marry you, or you should marry me--until we could live brave and true,
though we lost one another, and follow the only way we saw, though it
was hard. I do not believe we should have been happy--without
that--after a little while.

"I could not love you if you left your wife and married me. I should
never trust you. I would rather we should both die. Go back to her
and win her with y