"God!" she heard him mutter. "If I dared but tell her!"
She rose swiftly out of her form and caught him by the arm, with something between a laugh and a cry, "Tell me, then!"—and the mighty arms of his love were round her, gripping her to him till she was squeezed almost breathless.
"Avice! Avice!—and you knew! Oh, thank God for you!"
"Of course I knew," she gasped. "And I want you as much as you want me."
"Thank God for you, dearest!" he said deeply. "We will thank Him all our lives. He has given us with a full hand.... I have nothing left to ask Him ... except your fullest happiness, now and always."
"And I yours. You are my happiness. You give me Heaven."
"God requite me ten times over if ever you rue this day. I have longed for you till my heart was sick with the pain of longing——"
"Foolish! Why did you not tell me before?"
"I could not. Until I knew.... Placed as we are, you see, it felt like forcing you.... You might not have felt free to say no.... It might have put an end to all our comradeship...."
"You don't know me. I'd have said no quickly enough if I hadn't wanted you. But I do, and you make me very happy."