"John," she said, "do not try to weaken me. All Nature, who is my
friend, and the night-winds and their voices, and that dear God Who
never deserts me, tell me that for no present good must we lower
ourselves now. Nothing can ever hurt me. Go back and do that which being
a gentleman entails upon you to do--and leave the rest to God. This is
the winter of our souls, but it will not last forever. The spring is at
hand, if you will only trust, and believe with me that first we on our
side must be ready to pay the price."
Then she bent forward and kissed him as an angel might have done, and,
without speaking more, rose and prepared to walk towards the stairway
which descended to the lower court.
He followed her, and she turned before she began to descend the steps,
while she pointed to the beautiful country.
"Look at the vines, all heavy with grapes," she said, "and the fields
shorn of their corn, and the olives shimmering in the sunset; and then,
dear lover, you will know that all things have their sequence, and our
time of joy will come. Ah! sweetheart, it is not farewell for ever; it
is only that we must wait for our spring.
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