It seemed incredible that one person's absence could make so vast a difference.

And yet how perfect that it should be so; and that they should both realise it, now the day had come when he intended to tell her how desperately he wanted her always.
Yes, that they should BOTH realise it--for he felt certain Jane had also experienced the blank.

A thing so complete and overwhelming as the miss of her had been to him could not be one-sided.

And how well worth the experience of these lonely days if they had thereby learned something of what TOGETHER meant, now the words were to be spoken which should insure forever no more such partings.
All this sped through Garth's mind as he greeted Jane with that most commonplace of English greetings, the everlasting question which never receives an answer.

But from Garth, at that moment, it did not sound commonplace to Jane, and she answered it quite frankly and fully.