The ugly tempter lifted its wings and flew swiftly away.
"Are you," he began again at last, "revising your opinion of me? I hope you are."
A hand fell lightly on his lips. "I don't want to revise my opinion of you. I couldn't. And I understand—what you wanted and why it is impossible for us. Because—last night— I could have let you do it."
"Oh, Esther, I never meant to hurt you. Can you believe that?"
"I know. But you haven't hurt me—even though for a while I was shameless as I never thought I could be. I said the story has ended happily. And it has—with the happiest ending possible, the only happy ending it could have. Because there is nothing to regret."
"Nothing to regret!" Unbelief was in his gaze.
"Ah! We mustn't talk about it—but can't you see—can't you understand?"
She leaned over him, giving him her eyes, letting him look to the very depths he had once wanted to explore. He saw love there, and joy in love, but as well the will to renounce gladly—and no lurking shadow to say that she had bravely lied.
"Do you believe—that I am not unhappy and will not be?"
"I can't understand. But I have to believe. I am glad to believe."