"But why," I said, "should you want to see me? You cannot possibly care about such an old selfish being."
"Of course I care," she answered; "are you not his friend? And whom he cares for, I care for; whom he loves, I love."
As she said this she looked at Sydney, and I saw for the first time the expression of true, pure, and perfect love.
We had talked for some time on various subjects, when Vera turned to me and said--
"You already know much of my past, a knowledge which has only recently been revealed to me. But there is much still that you do not know because he who told you was the man who loved me. Nor is it necessary for me to bring before you further scenes of humiliation, when I wandered blindly in the path of disorder and pain, ever refusing the guiding light of love held out to me. But," she continued, getting up and kneeling beside Sydney, "before we go, before we enter into the glorious life of joy, to the threshold of which my love at length has guided me, I should like to give you some idea of my feeling toward the man who has thus through pain and trial, with no return save the basest ingratitude, ever been faithful to one so unworthy of his devotion."
As she said this she looked up into the face of her lover, and drawing him down to her, kissed him on the lips.
For a moment she seemed to forget my presence as she turned to Sydney, and cried, "My beloved, who through the dark valley has been beside me; who with the unselfishness of divine compassion has forgiven cruelty and unfaithfulness, thinking not of the worthlessness of the one beloved but only feeling her weakness; whatsoever I am is thine, without thee there can be no joy, no perfect completion, no future life, no eternal glory!"
But Sydney stopped her. "Dearest," he said, "it is enough. The past is gone; through the weakness that once you had, came that strength which has been our salvation. Through selfishness has come self-renunciation; through sorrow, more exceeding joy; through doubt and perplexity, eternal hope and trust. If your growth has been dependent upon me, so has my growth on you; each soul acting and reacting on the other from without. And still shall it ever be, save that in future the influence shall be internal, not external, and the darkness shall have passed away."
For a few moments there was silence; then Vera turned to me and said, "Would that you too could know this great joy."
"I have not lived to deserve it," I replied, "yet it gives me the greatest happiness to see you here."