4
But they sat on a bench, in the dark, not knowing that it was dark, for their eyes were full of the light. They sat against each other, silently at first, till, remembering that he had a voice and could still speak words, he said:
“I have never lived through such a moment as this. I forget where we are and who we are and that we are human. We were, were we not? I seem to remember that we once were?”
“Yes, but we are that no longer,” she said, smiling; and her eyes, grown big, looked into the darkness that was light.
“Once we were human, suffering and desiring, in a world where certainly much was beautiful, but where much also was ugly.”
“Why speak of that now?” she asked; and her voice sounded to herself as coming from very far and low beneath her.
“I seemed to remember it.”
“I wanted to forget it.”
“Then I will do so too. But may I not thank you in human speech for lifting me above humanity?”