He had hitherto concealed his feelings, but I saw them now begin to get the better of him. His eyes softened, and he took my hand and squeezed it hard.
"I beg your pardon," he said; "I beg your pardon, with all my heart."
There was silence between us, for I was crying, and I believe, at heart, he was crying too. At last he dropped my hand, and seemed to change back, by an effort, to his former calmness.
"Is there no one belonging to you to whom I can be of service?" he asked. "I see among the witnesses on the trial the name of a young man who appears to have assisted you in the inquiries which led to the prisoner's conviction. Is he a relation?"
"No, sir--at least, not now--but I hope--"
"What?"
"I hope that he may, one day, be the nearest and dearest relation to me that a woman can have." I said those words boldly, because I was afraid of his otherwise taking some wrong view of the connection between Robert and me "One day?" he repeated. "One day may be a long time hence."
"We are neither of us well off, sir," I said. "One day means the day when we are a little richer than we are now."
"Is the young man educated? Can he produce testimonials to his character? Oblige me by writing his name and address down on the back of that card."
When I had obeyed, in a handwriting which I am afraid did me no credit, he took out another card and gave it to me.
"I shall leave England to-morrow," he said. "There is nothing now to keep me in my own country. If you are ever in any difficulty or distress (which I pray God you may never be), apply to my London agent, whose address you have there."
He stopped, and looked at me attentively, then took my hand again.
"Where is she buried?" he said, suddenly, in a quick whisper, turning his head away.
I told him, and added that we had made the grave as beautiful as we could with grass and flowers. I saw his lips whiten and tremble.
"God bless and reward you!" he said, and drew me toward him quickly and kissed my forehead. I was quite overcome, and sank down and hid my face on the table. When I looked up again he was gone.