Hour by hour, day by
day, at the cost of every personal inclination, of all that endears life
and ennobles failure, Odo must set himself to redeem the credit of his
house. He saw his way straight before him; but in that hour of insight
his heart's instinct of self-preservation made one last effort against
fate.
He turned to Fulvia.
"You are right," he said; "I have no choice. You have shown me the way;
but must I travel it alone? You ask me to give up at a stroke all that
makes life desirable: to set forth, without a backward glance, on the
very road that leads me farthest from you! Yesterday I might have
obeyed; but how can I turn today from this near view of my happiness?"
He paused a moment and she seemed about to answer; but he hurried on
without giving her time. "Fulvia, if you ask this sacrifice of me, is
there none you will make in return? If you bid me go forth and work for
my people, will you not come with me and work for them too?" He
stretched out his hands, in a gesture that seemed to sum up his infinite
need of her, and for a moment they faced each other, silenced by the
nearness of great issues.
She knew well enough what he offered. According to the code of the day
there was no dishonour in the offer and it did not occur to her to
resent it. But she looked at him sadly and he read her refusal in the
look.
"The Regent's mistress?" she said slowly. "The key to the treasury, the
back-door to preferment, the secret trafficker in titles and
appointments? That is what I should stand for--and it is not to such
services that you must even appear to owe your power.
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