“You’ve changed your mind, Nils? You’ll let me tell them the truth?”
“Hush! Speak lower, and be careful. How long have we to talk?”
“Twenty minutes. I wrung a pass at last from Clemens. Thought I could never have persuaded him. You know what a time I had over the last one, and now — so close to the day! Unheard of, the warden said; but I had the pass. They searched me and let me in. If I’d failed it might have been better for you, Nils!”
“Why?”
“If I’d failed, I had meant to confess immediately-”
“Hush, I say! The others there seem inattentive enough, but you can’t gage how closely they are listening. A prison is more than a prison. I’ve learned that. It’s a mesh of devilish traps, set to comb the very soul out of a man and violate its secrecy.”
“Nils, you have suffered too much.”
“Don’t go so white, lad. It was good of you to come and see me again.”
“Nils!”
“I mean it. Don’t you think I understand what this means to you? Have I no imagination? Can’t I put myself in your place? Why, the last time you came it nearly broke my heart to remind you of your duty. But we are men, you and I. When men love they are willing to make their sacrifice.”
“You would not do this for me alone? It is all for Roberta?”
“Can you ask? Why, dear friend, I would never damn you to a lifetime of remorse for a lesser reason. My part is nothing. To die is nothing. We all die. If you could exchange with me, I might not survive you a day — an hour. There are so many doors out beside the one I pass through tomorrow. What’s death? No, boy, it is your part that is hard and I thanked God when I saw your face, because I wished to say a word or so that might make it easier.”
“You are the noblest friend a man ever had. But I came to tell you that — that — have you seen the afternoon papers?”
“No, nor any papers for a week. I’m done with this world and the news of it. I hadn’t supposed, though, that they would devote their precious columns to real gloatings over me till tomorrow. Clay, take my advice and don’t read the papers of June 9.”
“You — haven’t seen — today’s?”
“I say, no! Why? Any special gloatings in them?”
“There is — Nils, you must let me stop this while there is time. I shall go to the Governor-”
“No! No — no — no, and no, again! Clay, have I passed through months of hell to see my reward snatched away at the last instant? There! You see, I make it plain that I’m selfish! To keep her happiness inviolate — to buy happiness for her at the mere price of death — why, that’s a joy that I never believed God would judge me worthy of!”
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