The Twin Detectives; or, The Robbers of the Tomb — page 211: what you’re looking at

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

202 | THE TWIN DETECTIVES. ‘God knows I would not/” he repeated. ‘“What would you say then to the wicked woman who forgot her marriage vows?” ‘“T would say, ‘I forgive you freely. “You would? Ah, you would?” She sank lower than before, till her head rested on the floor and her clasped hands lay at the captain’s feet. “Yes, [ would! Ido! Helen, look up and uncover your face. J have longed for this meeting. I have prayed for it!” She suffered him to raise her now, and she lay sobbing, her husband’s arms about her, her head upon his breast. ““Oh, how can you forgive me?” she asked, raising his brown, toil-hardened hand to her lips. ‘‘ Because, Helen, | have never forgotten our old love, our old happiness.” ‘‘T would not have gone, Henry, but I believed you were dead, and I was young and vain.” ““Say no more, my wife. It is forgiven.” ““ My sin?” ““Yes; and let it be forgotten. Yes, all these weary years I have dreamed of this meeting, I have prayed for it. I have lain in my bed when far out at sea, and I have thought, ‘The time grows shorter when she will come to me and beg for pardon, and tell me she was happier in our old humble home than she ever was in her guilty splendor.’ ” Hot tears from her eyes were raining on his breast. He felt them on his hands. ‘‘Helen, do not cry any more,” he said, and he bowed his head. Their lips met in a long kiss—a kiss of love, forgiveness, and peace. When the family met at the breakfast table next morn- ing, Mrs. Mordred was the last to appear. 2 33 Eomichboo (EO) m cS