He should mount with her. Always she had longed to see him above her. Could she leave him below? She knew she could not. She understood that God did not mean her to. She understood perfectly. And tears streamed from her eyes. For now there came upon her a full comprehension of her love for Androvsky. His revelation had not killed it, as, for a moment, in her passionate personal anger, she had been inclined to think. Indeed it seemed to her now that, till this hour of silence, she had never really loved him, never known how to love. Even in the tent at Arba she had not fully loved him, perfectly loved him. For the thought of self, the desires of self, the passion of self, had entered into and been mingled with her love. But now she loved him perfectly, because she loved as God intended her to love. She loved him as God’s envoy sent to him.
She was still weeping, but she began to feel calm, as if the stillness of this hour before the dawn entered into her soul. She thought of herself now only as a vessel into which God was pouring His purpose and His love.
Just as dawn was breaking, as the first streak of light stole into the east and threw a frail spear of gold upon the sands, she was conscious again of a thrill of life within her, of the movement of her unborn child. Then she lifted her head from her hand, looking towards the east, and whispered:
“Give me strength for one more thing—give me strength to be silent!”
She waited as if for an answer. Then she rose from her knees, bathed her face and went out to the tent door to Androvsky.
“Boris!” she said.
He rose from his knees and looked at her, holding the little wooden crucifix in his hand.
“Domini?” he said in an uncertain voice.
“Put it back into your breast. Keep it for ever, Boris.”
As if mechanically, and not removing his eyes from her, he put the crucifix into his breast. After a moment she spoke again, quietly.