There were few better women
in the world, few whose goodness showed itself so clearly both in deeds
and intentions, and yet she was conscious, rightly or wrongly, that
Greif was outdoing her in generosity. To her the words he had spoken
had a ring of heroism in them, and he himself seemed to grow in dignity
and strength as he stood before her. She hesitated, the speech came to
her lips, failed, took courage and came again. Once more she raised her
head and looked into his eyes.
'Greif--you are a brave man, and you will understand me,' she said.
'When I came here, I felt all that you have said. I felt it in the long
night, before you were in the house. I meant to tell you what you have
told me, as kindly as I could, not now, but later. It would have been
hard, for I am more than fond of you.'
'It would have been your duty, and it would have been right,' answered
Greif calmly.
The baroness laid her hand upon his folded arms.
'It would not have been right, Greif,' she said in a low voice that
trembled a little. 'It might have seemed so, for I did not know you as
I know you now. You have done all that a man can do, more, perhaps,
than almost any man would have done. I did not wrong you in what I
felt, nor in what I meant to say, but I could never say it now. Take
Hilda, and call yourself as you will, for you are worthy of her and
neither you nor she will ever regret it.'
Greif looked at her for a moment, and then knelt beside her and kissed
her hands.
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