"
"You know that as well as I do," I replied. "I have taken you into my
confidence; I have told you that I loved her, that I should always love
her; and it is unwomanly in you"--
"That will do," she interrupted,--"that will do; don't say hard words to
one of your best friends. If you will continue to be true to Poll, not
as the sailor was in the song, but constant and steadfast in all sorts
of weather, and without any regard to that mere material point of
eventually getting her for your own, why then I am your fast friend to
the end, and will do everything that I can to soften your woes and
lighten your pathway; and all the reward I desire for my labors is the
pleasure of knowing that there is at least one man in the world who can
love truly and unchangeably without seeing any chance ahead of him of
winning the woman he loves. Do you think you can fill that position?"
I looked at her sternly, and answered: "I have said all upon that point
that is necessary to say. When I love a woman, I love her forever."
"Very good," said Miss Laniston,--"very good; and I dare say your little
side flights didn't mean anything at all. And now I shall talk with
Mother Anastasia as soon as possible, and make her understand that she
has no right to sacrifice herself to Sylvia or any one else.
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