How strong his touch, how firm, how reassuring! It was her first contact
with his hand.
"I wish it so much," he went on, "that I would have your past life
utterly buried, even between ourselves; nay, if it were possible, even
in your own mind also! I, for my part, would undertake never to ask you
one solitary question about that life--on one small and only fair
condition. Supposing we make a compact now?"
"Anything to bury my own past," owned Rachel; "yes, I would do
anything--anything!"
"Then you must help me to bury mine, too," he said. "I was never
married, but a past I have."
"I would do my best," said Rachel, "if I married you."
"You will do your best," added Steel, correcting her; "and there is my
compact cut and dried. I ask you nothing; you ask me nothing; and there
is to be no question of love between us, first or last. But we help each
other to forget--from this day forth!"
Rachel could not speak; his eyes were upon her, black, inscrutable,
arrestive of her very faculties, to say nothing of her will. She could
only answer him when he had turned away and was moving towards the door.
"Where are you going?" she cried.
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