“Nesta? Yes. As far as her sort can love, I believe she does.”
Jean nodded, as though it were the answer she had expected.
“Blaise... I’m going to send you back to her. I’m sure now. I know. It’s the only thing we can do... We must say good-bye—altogether—never see each other again.”
“Never?” The word came draggingly.
“Never. It—it would be too hard for us, Blaise, to see each other.”
“Yes,” he answered slowly. “It would be too hard.”
They were both silent. The minutes ticked away unregarded. Time had ceased to count. This farewell was till the end of time.
“Blaise—” All the resonance had gone out of her voice. It sounded flat and tired. “You—you will go back to her?”
“Yes, I will go back.”
She stretched out her hands flutteringly.