As he spoke he saw a curious light pass into the girl’s face—­a light of understanding and resolution.  He thought that she would tell him that he was right; and he was unutterably thankful to think that he had had the courage to speak—­he could bear anything now.

Suddenly she made a swift gesture, bending down to him.  She caught his hand in her own, and pressed her lips to it.  “Don’t you see?” she said.  “Attracted by someone . . . by whom? . . . by that wretched little boy? . . . why he amuses me, of course, . . . and you would stand aside for that!  You have spoken and I must speak.  Why you are everything, everything, all the world to me.  It was last Sunday in church . . . do you remember . . . when they said, ‘Whom have I in heaven but thee, and there is none upon earth’ . . .  I looked up and caught your eye, and wondered if you did understand.  But it is enough—­I won’t hamper you either.  If you want to go back to the old life and live it, I won’t say a word.  I will be just your most faithful friend—­you will allow that?”

The heaven seemed to open over Howard, and the solid earth reeled round him where he sate.  It was so, then!  He sate for a moment like a man stunned, and then opened his eyes on bliss unutterable.  She was close to him, her breath on his cheek, her eyes full of tears.  He took her into his arms, and put his lips to hers.  “My dearest darling child,” he said, “are you sure? . . .  I can’t believe it. . . .  Oh my sweetest, it can’t be true.  Why, I have loved you with all my soul since that first moment I saw you—­indeed it was before; and I have thought of nothing else day and night. . . .  What does it all mean . . . the well of life?”

They sate holding each other close.  The whole soul of the girl rose to clasp and to greet his, in that blest fusion of life which seems to have nothing hidden or held back.  She made him tell her over and over again the sweet story of his love.

“What could I do?” she said.  “Why, when I was at Cambridge that week, I didn’t dare to claim your time and thought.  Why can’t one make oneself understood?  Why, my one hope, all that time, was just for the minutes I got with you; and yet I thought it wasn’t fair not to try to seem amused; then I saw you were vexed at something—­ vexed that I should want to talk to you—­what a wretched business!”

“Never mind all that now, child,” said Howard, “it’s a perfect nightmare.  Why can’t one be simple?  Why, indeed? and even now, I simply can’t believe it—­oh, the wretched hours when I thought you were drifting away from me; do men and women indeed miss their chances so?  If I had but known!  Yet, I must tell you this—­when I first came to this spring here, I thought it held a beautiful secret for me—­something which had been in my life from everlasting.  It was so, and this was what it held for me.”

The afternoon sped swiftly away, and the shadow of the western downs fell across the pool.  An immense and overpowering joy filled Howard’s heart, and the silent world took part in his ecstasy.