If the gift she would give would be so great that the world would blame him for accepting it, what would that matter so long as she knew him blameless?
They were both mute: he did not even look at her, and she might have heard the beating of his heart. She looked at him and the colour came back into her face, the smile back upon her mouth.
'My friend,' she said very gently,'did never you think that I also——'
She paused: it was very hard to her to say what she must say, and he could not help her, dared not help her, to utter it.
They stood thus another moment mute, with the sunset glow upon the shining water, and upon the feudal majesty of the great castle.
Then she looked at him with a straight, clear, noble glance, and with the rich blood mounting in her face, stretched out her hand to him with a royal gesture.
'They robbed you of your ivy leaf, my cruel Prussian cousins. Will you—take—this—instead?'
Then Heaven itself opened to his eyes. He did not take her hand. He fell at her feet and kissed them.