Those feelings might bring her back.

If only she came back, it was enough.

She could not undo what she had done, but neither could she forbid him to live with eyes on the future.
Reasoning so, he did his daily work and lived waiting.
Then came the day which put a term to the mere blank of desolation, and excited new hopes, new fears.

Thyrza's letter arrived.

It was delivered in the afternoon, and Lydia found it pushed under her door when she returned from work.