"It is not so mysterious, after all," he answered smiling. "I have no psychic powers, but I know a little of the Oriental teachings: the surface of the lake is a mirror, symbolic of illusion and reflecting our souls, in which alone we must seek the Buddha.—But to-day it is of a modern divinity I would prefer to speak. These have been hard weeks for you, Merry, and I have sympathized with you."
"Why,—yes; in a way," she admitted. "But like everything else I do, they haven't amounted to anything, have they?"
"Haven't they?" he asked pointedly. "Isn't some of that unrest gone now that you and the dear mother understand each other?"
"Of course. That means everything to me, but again it is I who benefit. Oh! Mr. Huntington, I want so much to do something for somebody else, and no matter how hard I try it always turns out that I am the gainer. I believed I had the opportunity at last, and again I was mistaken. But this time it wasn't my fault, was it? At least I was ready to do my part."
"Don't you know that you can't try to do something for some one else without having it come back to you?"
"Do you expect that what you are doing for Mr. Hamlen will bring you a reward?"
"It has already given me your friendship. Isn't that enough?"
The color came to Merry's face, and she turned her glance away. "What can that mean to you who have so many friendships?" she asked.
"It is the friendship I value most among them all."
She looked up at him quickly, startled by the intensity of his tone. "You can't mean that," she said. "To me it is different. You brought into my life something which it never had and never would have had except for you. To me your friendship is the grandest thing I know, but what can mine mean to you? Something fine and splendid must come in return for the months you have given Mr. Hamlen. I wish—" she hesitated a moment but then continued bravely—"yes, I wish it might even bring you back the girl you loved—and found too late!"