"Abel," she said with a sob, half of joy, half of sorrow, "if I go on my
knees, will you forgive me?"
He had turned away, but at her voice, he stopped and looked back with
the sunlight in his eyes.
"There isn't any forgiveness in love, Molly," he answered.
"Then--oh, then if I go on my knees will you love me?"
He smiled, and even his smile, she saw, had lost its boyish brightness
and grown sadder.
"I'd like to see you on your knees, if I might pick you up," he said,
"but, Molly, I can't. You've everything to lose and I've nothing on
God's earth to give you except myself."
"But if that's all I want?"
"It isn't, darling. You may think so, but it isn't and you'd find it
out. You see all this time since I've lost you, I've been learning to
give you up. It's a poor love that isn't big enough to give up when the
chance comes to it."
"If--if you give me up, I'll let everything go," she said passionately.
"I'll not take a penny of that money. I'll stay at Old Church and live
with Betsey Bottom and raise chickens. If you give me up I'll die,
Abel," she finished with a sob.
At the sound of her sob, he laughed softly, and his laugh, unlike his
smile, was a laugh of happiness.
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