"I did not mean to distress you so. I am sorry if I have done a wrong,"
she said to him softly, a sound of tears in her own voice.
He turned his white, suffering face toward her, and answered with
quivering lip: "It is not so much that. It is everything combined. I am weak, I'm sick,
I'm discouraged," and Hugh could not restrain the tears. Soon rallying,
however, he continued: "You think me a snivelling coward, no doubt, but believe me, Miss
Johnson, it is not my nature thus to give way. Tears and Hugh
Worthington are usually strangers to each other. I am a man, and I will
prove it to you, when I get well, but now I am not myself, and I grant
the favor you ask, simply because I can't help it. You meant it in
kindness. I take it as such. I thank you, but it must not be repeated.
You have come to be my friend, my sister, you say. God bless you for
that. I need a sister's love so much, and Adah has given it to me. You
like Adah?" and he fixed his eyes inquiringly on Alice, who answered: "Yes, very much."
Now that the money matter was settled Hugh did not care to talk longer
of that or of himself, and eagerly seized upon Adah as a topic
interesting to both, and which would be likely to keep Alice with him
for a while at least, so, after a moment's silence, during which Alice
was revolving the expediency of leaving him lest he should become too
weary, he continued: "Miss Johnson, you don't know how much I love Adah Hastings; not as men
generally love," he hastily added, as he caught an expression of
surprise on Alice's face, "not as that villain professed to love her,
but, as it seems to me, a brother might love an only sister. I mean no
disrespect to 'Lina," and his chin quivered a little, "but I have
dreamed of a different, brotherly love from what I feel toward her, and
my heart has beaten so fast when I built castles of what might have been
had we both been different, I, more forbearing, more even tempered, more
like the world in general, and she, more--more"--he knew not what, for
he would not speak against her, so he finally added, "had she known,
just how to take me--just how to make allowances for my rough, uncouth
ways, which, of course, annoy her."
Poor Hugh! he was trying now to smooth over what 'Lina had told Alice of
himself--trying to apologize for them both, and he did it so skillfully,
that Alice felt an increased respect for the man whose real character
she had so misunderstood. She, knew, however, that it could not be
pleasant for him to speak of 'Lina, and so she led him back to Adah by
saying: "I had thought to talk with you of a plan which Mrs. Hastings has in
view, but think, perhaps, I had better wait till you are stronger."