end of the tether-第42章

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I　am　able　yet　to　write　legibly。　　I　am　trying　hard　to



save　for　you　all　the　money　that　is　left；　I　have　only　kept



it　to　serve　you　better。　　It　is　yours。　　It　shall　not　be　lost：



it　shall　not　be　touched。　　There's　five　hundred　pounds。



Of　what　I　have　earned　I　have　kept　nothing　back　till



now。　　For　the　future；　if　I　live；　I　must　keep　back　some



a　littleto　bring　me　to　you。　　I　must　come　to　you。　　I



must　see　you　once　more。







〃It　is　hard　to　believe　that　you　will　ever　look　on　these



lines。　　God　seems　to　have　forgotten　me。　　I　want　to　see



youand　yet　death　would　be　a　greater　favor。　　If　you



ever　read　these　words；　I　charge　you　to　begin　by　thank…



ing　a　God　merciful　at　last；　for　I　shall　be　dead　then；　and



it　will　be　well。　　My　dear；　I　am　at　the　end　of　my　tether。〃







The　next　paragraph　began　with　the　words：　〃My　sight



is　going　。　。　。〃







She　read　no　more　that　day。　　The　hand　holding　up　the



paper　to　her　eyes　fell　slowly；　and　her　slender　figure　in



a　plain　black　dress　walked　rigidly　to　the　window。　　Her



eyes　were　dry：　no　cry　of　sorrow　or　whisper　of　thanks



went　up　to　heaven　from　her　lips。　　Life　had　been　too



hard；　for　all　the　efforts　of　his　love。　　It　had　silenced　her



emotions。　　But　for　the　first　time　in　all　these　years　its



sting　had　departed；　the　carking　care　of　poverty；　the



meanness　of　a　hard　struggle　for　bread。　　Even　the　image



of　her　husband　and　of　her　children　seemed　to　glide　away



from　her　into　the　gray　twilight；　it　was　her　father's



face　alone　that　she　saw；　as　though　he　had　come　to　see



her；　always　quiet　and　big；　as　she　had　seen　him　last；　but



with　something　more　august　and　tender　in　his　aspect。







She　slipped　his　folded　letter　between　the　two　buttons



of　her　plain　black　bodice；　and　leaning　her　forehead



against　a　window…pane　remained　there　till　dusk；　per…



fectly　motionless；　giving　him　all　the　time　she　could



spare。　　Gone！　　Was　it　possible？　　My　God；　was　it　possi…



ble！　　The　blow　had　come　softened　by　the　spaces　of　the



earth；　by　the　years　of　absence。　　There　had　been　whole



days　when　she　had　not　thought　of　him　at　allhad　no



time。　　But　she　had　loved　him；　she　felt　she　had　loved



him；　after　all。























End