'
'That's a dear good boy! Eddy, let us be courageous. Let us
change to brother and sister from this day forth.'
'Never be husband and wife?'
'Never!'
Neither spoke again for a little while. But after that pause he
said, with some effort:
'Of course I know that this has been in both our minds, Rosa, and
of course I am in honour bound to confess freely that it does not
originate with you.'
'No, nor with you, dear,' she returned, with pathetic earnestness.
'That sprung up between us. You are not truly happy in our
engagement; I am not truly happy in it. O, I am so sorry, so
sorry!' And there she broke into tears.
'I am deeply sorry too, Rosa. Deeply sorry for you.'
'And I for you, poor boy! And I for you!'
This pure young feeling, this gentle and forbearing feeling of each
towards the other, brought with it its reward in a softening light
that seemed to shine on their position. The relations between them
did not look wilful, or capricious, or a failure, in such a light;
they became elevated into something more self-denying, honourable,
affectionate, and true.
'If we knew yesterday,' said Rosa, as she dried her eyes, 'and we
did know yesterday, and on many, many yesterdays, that we were far
from right together in those relations which were not of our own
choosing, what better could we do to-day than change them? It is
natural that we should be sorry, and you see how sorry we both are;
but how much better to be sorry now than then!'
'When, Rosa?'
'When it would be too late.
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