"Yes, I'll do anything, only please leave me now," Maddy gasped, her
face as white as ashes and her eyes fixed pleadingly upon Mrs. Green,
who, having been young herself, guessed the truth, and, as she arose
to go, laid her motherly hand on Maddy's head, saving kindly: "Poor child, it's hard to bear now, but you'll get over it in time."
"Get over it," Maddy moaned, as she shut and bolted the door after
Mrs. Green, and then threw herself upon the bed, "I never shall till I
die."
She almost felt that she was dying then, so desolate and so dreary the
future looked to her. What was life worth without Guy, and why had she
been thrown so much in his way; why permitted to love him as she knew
she did, if she must lose him now? Maddy could not cry; there was a
tightness about her eyes, and a keen, cutting pain about her heart as
she tried to pray for strength to do what was right--strength to cast
Guy Remington from her heart where it was a sin for him to be; and
then she asked to be forgiven for the wrong she had unwittingly done
to Lucy Atherstone, who trusted implicitly, and who, in her last
letter, had said: "If I had not so much faith in Guy I should be jealous of one who has
so many opportunities for stealing his heart from me. But I trust you,
Maddy Clyde. You would not do a thing to harm me, I am sure, and to
lose Guy now, after these years of cruel waiting, would kill me."
Sweet Lucy, there was in her heart a faint stirring of fear lest
Maddy Clyde might be a shadow in her pathway, else she had never
written that to her. But Lucy's cause was safe in Maddy's hands.
Always too high-souled to do a treacherous act, she was now sustained
by another and holier principle, which of itself would have kept her
from the wrong. But for a few moments Maddy abandoned herself to the
bliss of fancying what it would be to be loved by Guy Remington, even
as she loved him. And as she thought, there crept into her heart the
certainty that in some degree he did love her; that his friendship was
more than a mere liking for the girl to whom he had been so kind. In
Lucy's absence she was essential to his happiness, and that was why he
sought her society so much. Remembering everything that had passed,
but more particularly the incidents of that memorable night ride to
Honedale with all that had followed since, she could not doubt it, and
softly to herself she whispered, "He loves me, he loves me," while
little throbs of joy beat all over her heart; but only for an instant,
and then the note of joy was changed to sorrow as she thought how she
must henceforth seek to kill that love, both for her own sake and
Lucy's. Guy must not come there any more. She could not bear it now,
even if the neighbors had never meddled with her. She could not see
him as she had done, and not betray her real feelings toward him. He
had been there that day; he would come again tomorrow. She could see
him now just as he would look coming up the walk, easy and self-
possessed, confident of his reception, his handsome face beaming all
over with kind thoughtfulness for her, and his voice full of tender
concern as he asked how she was, and bade Flora see that she did not
overtax herself, and all this must cease. She had seen it, heard it
for the last time. No wonder that Maddy's heart fainted within her, as
she thought how desolate, how dreary would be the days when Guy no
longer came. But the victory was gained at last, and strength imparted
for the task she had to do.