"But," continued George Olver, with a flash of magnificent fire in his
eyes, and thrusting his arm out straight; "what's right atween me and my
God needn't be afeard o' no man's face! I want to take that girl and keer
for her, and keep her from meddlin' tongues. Let 'em say what they choose
to me; they must be keerful what they say afore her, that's all.
"I've waited a good while. I could bide my time, but not now, when she's
heart broke and sufferin', and nobody ter put out a hand to help her.
There's be'n a look on her face, lately, that I don't like to see. It's
afore my eyes all the time, and it werries me night and day--as though
she didn't hold herself o' no account, and might make away wi' herself.
"Teacher, you've got a woman's heart, and you can save that other woman!
It's a task that they needn't nobody be ashamed on, for the Lord Jesus
himself set the example. I guess she thinks you've turned agin her, too,
but I knew that couldn't be, for no friend 'ud leave another when they
was perishin', not even if they was more to fault than she was; and she
was apt to mind ye more than any one. I thought if you'd go in and speak
to her as a woman could, and tell her she'd got a right to hope, and tell
her her friends would not forsake her, least of all would it be likely
God would forsake her, and tell her--"
George Olver seemed both to be looking at me and beyond me with his
beautiful, brave eyes; "Tell her thar's somebody that don't find any
cause to be sorry for havin' loved her, but knows how she's been
werrited, and suffers along with her, and 'ud be more glad and content
than of anythin' else in his heart this minute, to protect her and keer
for her as it's right--yes, tell her as it's right that she should let
him do; and if she asks from whom that comes"--George Olver smiled
brightly, with that far-seeing look still in his eyes--"why, it's no
secret from whom it comes.
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