"And some day it shall be yours," he declared stoutly. "Some day when
you comprehend that divorce is not always the evil that some delight to
proclaim it; some day when you realize that it must be a far greater
sin to wreck irretrievably your own life for a brute than to break
those man-made bonds which bind you to him. It cannot be long until
you learn this, for all nature condemns so unholy an alliance. Until
then let it be the stage; only I ask you to strive for the very best it
offers. Have confidence in yourself, little girl, in your ability,
your power, your spark of genius touched by suffering. Every hour you
pass now in hideous, misshapen melodrama is worse than wasted. You
have that within you well worthy of better setting, nobler environment,
and you wrong yourself to remain content with less. You are mine now
wherever you go, whatever triumphs you win; mine in spite of the law,
because I possess your heart. I should doubt myself far sooner than
ever question your loyalty. I can lend you to the stage for a
while--until I come for you in that glad hour when your lips shall bid
me--but in the meantime I want you to be true to yourself, to the
spirit of art within you. I want you to accomplish the highest
purposes of your dreams; to interpret that in life which is worthy of
interpretation."
"You believe I can?"
"I know you can. Never from that first night, when I stood in the
wings and watched, have I ever questioned the possibilities of your
future. You have art, emotion, depth of true feeling, application, a
clear understanding of character--all that ever made any actress great.
I love you, Beth; yet mine is a love too unselfish not to tell you this
truth and stand aside rather than block your future."
She lifted her eyes to him, now cleared of their tears, and shining
with eagerness.
"I will do all you say," she said earnestly, "do it because I love you.
It shall not be for the people, the applause, the glitter and display,
but alone for you. Whenever a triumph comes to me, I shall meet it
whispering your name in my heart, knowing that you rejoice because I am
proving worthy of your faith. It will be as if we worked together; the
memory must help to make us both strong."
He bent lower, drew her closer to him, and held her thus in silence.
"Yes," he spoke at last, as though in thought, "I shall try to remember
and be patient, so long as you feel it must be so."
They were sitting there still, the barest glimmer of twilight
brightening the window above, their hands clasped, when Mercedes came
back, overflowing with light-heartedness.