This was
the key to her inexplicable sorrow during the past weeks. This explained
why, though she loved him so tenderly, the thought of becoming his wife
was so intolerable to her.
So be it. Her nature could not sink to his, but his should rise to hers.
This brief dream of earthly passion must pass. Better a thousand times
that he should be disappointed in all that is dear to the heart of a man,
than that he should grieve her thus. In that moment it did not seem hard
to him to sacrifice the hopes of the man to the devotion of the lover. By
one great effort he rose again to the level of the ascetic passion that
had glorified his life up to these last delirious weeks. She had brought
heaven to earth for him, but it should still be heaven, since her
happiness demanded it.
And having reasoned thus, at last, for there seemed no end of her
weeping, or any diminution of its bitterness, he touched her. She
started, and turned her streaming eyes to him, then, seeing who it was,
threw her arms around his neck, and, as he sat beside her, laid her head
on his shoulder clinging to him convulsively.
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