The Craze of Christina — page 237: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

The Craze of Christina. 233 to submit myself to a trial of strength which I am convinced beforehand would only end in failure, and in unspeakable misery for us both. It is far better that we should part now and for- © ever than that our engagement should drag it- self out in endless quarrels and misunderstand- ings, which would too surely lead us to the same ending—that of an absolute severance of our relations to one another.” Clifford leaned back speechless against the iron railings that surrounded the cathedral; his face grew white and ghastly, and he uttered a groan of agony. ‘“*Is this then to be the end of all!’’ he mur- mured broken-heartedly. ‘‘Can you indeed mean to throw me over so heartlessly and cruelly; have you no remorse, no pang in treating mé so badly?”’ “‘Pangs and remorse enough, my dearest Mark! do not mistake me. To part with you now is as great a pain to me as it can possibly be to you; it will be in fact the greatest sorrow of my whole life.”’ ‘‘Then, Chris, how can you even speak of such a thing! what object have you save to tor- ture me?’’—he seized her unwilling hand and prisoned it fast within his own. ‘*Because, according to your own decision, it CoOnniclooOolKSsee)