"I cannot, I will not go through with it.

Oh, Halcyone, my darling one, you would pity me, although you would despise me, if you knew--" "I could never despise you," she answered, nestling once more in his arms.

"John, for me nothing you could do would make any difference--you would still be my love; and if you were weak I would make you strong, and if cold and hungry, I would feed and comfort you, and if wicked, I would only see you good." "Oh, my dear, my dear," he said, "you were always as an angel of sweetness.

Listen to the whole degrading story, and tell me then of that which I must do." She took one of his hands and held it in both of hers; and it was as if some stream of comfort flowed to him through their soft warm touch and enabled him to begin his ugly task.
He told her the whole thing from the beginning.

Of his ambitions, and how they held chief place in his life, and how he had meant to marry Cecilia Cricklander as an aid to their advancement.