"
At that he laid a quick hand upon her hair, caressing it.
"Oh, after all, dear,"--gathering up the last of the sketches--"the
greatest thing in the world is to do one's work--isn't it?"
"Yes," he said, and his voice was low and tired, "unless the greatest
thing in the world is to submit to the inevitable."
She looked up quickly. "That doesn't sound like you."
"Doesn't it? Oh, well,"--with a little laugh--"you know a scientist is
supposed to be capable of a good deal of change in the point of view."
He had risen, and was at the door. "It's been good of you to do all this,
Ernestine."
"Why it has been a delight to me, dear; if only it hasn't hurt you. But
it is time now to go down where it is dark."
"Yes," he assented wearily; "it is time now to go down where it is dark."
CHAPTER XVIII
TELLING ERNESTINE
He had thought to tell her on Tuesday, but after their talk, when he took
his last look at her pictures--it had tortured both eyes and heart to do
that, but he knew in the days ahead that he would be unsatisfied with
having passed it by--he could not bring himself then to do it.
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