Stephen leaned his chin upon his hand. He looked through Ellen at some object far beyond her. He saw a bare room in a dingy old house in Philadelphia, an old desk and his own head bent in remorse above it. He had been grateful, Heaven bore witness, for a while.
"So you have everything arranged?" he said at last.
"Yes."
"And you are happy?"
"Yes. I've quite forgotten how unhappy and forlorn I used to be."
"The prospect of studying delights you?"
"Yes." Ellen lifted her eyes to his. "I used to think that learning was everything, but I've found that it isn't. One needs satisfaction for the mind, but one needs satisfaction for the heart also. It seemed to me that I had nobody."
Stephen rose and went to the side of his desk and stood leaning upon it and looking down at Ellen.
"And you feel that now you have somebody?"