Then he thought again of the cloud under which Josephine was entering.
Her decision would in all probability cut down her bright, useful life
to a few short years of struggle and shame and sorrow. At last he spoke:
"But why do you think it right to sacrifice yourself to this man? It
does not seem to me right."
He knew then what clearness of thought she had, for she looked with
almost horror in her face.
"Sacrifice myself for Le Maitre! Oh no! I should have no right to do
that; but to the ideal right, to God--yes. If I withheld anything from
God, how could I win my soul?"
"But how do you know God requires this?"
"Ah! I told you before. Why will you not understand? I have prayed. I
know God has taken this thing in his own hand."
Caius said no more. Josephine's way of looking at this thing might not
be true; that was not what he was considering just then. He knew that it
was intensely true for her, would remain true for her until the event of
death proved it true or false. This was the factor in the present
problem that was the enemy to his scheme. Then, furthermore, whether it
were true or false, he knew that there was in his mind the doubt, and
that doubt would remain with him, and it would prevent him from killing
Le Maitre; it would even prevent him from abetting O'Shea, and he
supposed that that abetting would be necessary.
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