And the latter part of the letter conveyed a veiled menace that Warkworth perfectly understood.
No--in that direction, no escape; his own past actions closed him in. And henceforth, it was clear, he must walk more warily.
But how blame himself for these feelings of which he was now conscious towards Julie Le Breton--the strongest, probably, that a man not built for passion would ever know. His relation towards her had grown upon him unawares, and now their own hands were about to cut it at the root. What blame to either of them? Fate had been at work; and he felt himself glorified by a situation so tragically sincere, and by emotions of which a month before he would have secretly held himself incapable.
Resolutely, in this last meeting with Julie, he gave these emotions play. He possessed himself of her cold hands as she put her desolate question--"And then?"--and kissed them fervently.
"Julie, if you and I had met a year ago, what happened in India would never have happened. You know that!"
"Do I? But it only hurts me to _think it away_ like that. There it is--it has happened."
"Why do you ask, dear one? This one evening is _ours_."
And again he tried to draw her to him. But she persisted.
"Julie, you and you only are in my thoughts!"
"Then do what I ask." She bent to him with a wild, entreating air; her lips almost touched his cheek. Unwillingly he drew out a letter-case from his breast-pocket, and took from it a little photograph which he handed to her.
She looked at it with eager eyes. A face framed, as it were, out of snow and fire lay in her hand, a thing most delicate, most frail, yet steeped in feeling and significance--a child's face with its soft curls of brown hair, and the upper lip raised above the white, small teeth, as though in a young wonder; yet behind its sweetness, what suggestions of a poetic or tragic sensibility! The slender neck carried the little head with girlish dignity; the clear, timid eyes seemed at once to shrink from and trust the spectator.
Julie returned the little picture, and hid her face with her hands. Warkworth watched her uncomfortably, and at last drew her hands away.
"What are you thinking of?" he said, almost with violence. "Don't shut me out!"