`` I could n't . She made me promise not to -- mother made me promise not to . Nineteen years ago she took a terrible spell . We thought she could n't live through it . She implored me to promise not to ask you to marry me while she was alive . I did n't want to promise such a thing , even though we all thought she could n't live very long -- the doctor only gave her six months . But she begged it on her knees , sick and suffering . I had to promise . '' `` What had your mother against me ? '' cried Janet . `` Nothing -- nothing . She just did n't want another woman -- ANY woman -- there while she was living . She said if I did n't promise she 'd die right there and I 'd have killed her . So I promised . And she 's held me to that promise ever since , though I 've gone on my knees to her in my turn to beg her to let me off . '' `` Why did n't you tell me this ? '' asked Janet chokingly . `` If I 'd only KNOWN ! Why did n't you just tell me ? '' `` She made me promise I would n't tell a soul , '' said John hoarsely .
`` She swore me to it on the Bible ; Janet , I 'd never have done it XXXXX I 'd dreamed it was to be for so long .
So against ago if in on since through to while