The Price He Paid — page 204: what you’re looking at

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

A SICK-BED CONFESSION. 195 the young doctor, “and heard his sentence from his own lips. He believes my wounds to be mortal.” Agnes set down the medicine bottle, and hid her face in her hands. Presently he heard a _ half- stifled sob. : “ Aones, would it grieve you if I were to die?” The question came in a remarkably soft and ten- der tone from Dr. Brunnow’s lips—mildness and ten- derness not being among that gentleman’s ordinary characteristics: “JT think I have betrayed so much to you, that you need not hesitate to confess that those tears are fall- ing for me. Itis only within the last few days, since I have been under your care, that I have known how matters really stood with me, or, may I say, with us both?” The girl had sunk on her knees by the bedside and buried her face in the pillows. “J shall never forget you,” shesobbed. “ Whatin life I never should have owned to you, now in the presence of death I may confess—my love is endless, unspeakable; it will reach beyond the grave. It is no sin to think of a departed one, and to send mes- sages on the wings of prayer—this I shall do daily, when the quiet convent walls have shut me in forever.” Earnest and touching as were her accents, this confession hardly satisfied Max. He had not the smallest wish to be worshiped as a departed spirit, and communications with the other world were by no means to his taste. “It would be se,in case of my death,” he said; “but what if I should live, after all?” Agnes raised her dark, tearful eyes, with an expression of the utmost perplexity. She had evidently not thought of this. “I believe that would not quite suit you,” cried Max, resentfully. | “Not suit me? Oh, how can you say so! Why,” cried the young girl, with a burst of feeling, “I would willingly give my life to save yours, if that were possible!” “You shall not be asked to give your life,” de- clared Max, whose conscience smote him as he saw Gomicbooks (E(0)