I
have received too much good service from you to permit of this
constraint. Call me Ralph--or Colleton--or--or--nay, look not so
coldly--why not call me your brother?"
"Brother--brother be it then, Ralph Colleton--brother--brother. God
knows, I need a brother now!" and the ice of her manner was thawed
quickly by his appeal, in which her accurate sense, sufficiently
unclouded usually by her feelings, though themselves at all times
strong, discovered only the honest earnestness of truth.
"Ah, now, you look--and now you are indeed my sister. Hear me, then,
Lucy, and listen to all my plans. You have not seen Edith--my Edith
now--you must be _her_ sister too. She is now, or will be soon,
something nearer to me than a sister--she is something dearer already.
We shall immediately return to Carolina, and you will go along with us."
"It may not be, Ralph--I have determined otherwise. I will be your
sister--as truly so as sister possibly could be--but I can not go with
you. I have made other arrangements.
Pages:
882
883
884
885
886
887
888
889
890
891
892
893
894
895
896
897
898
899
900
901
902
903
904
905
906