In that moment it did not seem hard to him to sacrifice the hopes of the man to the devotion of the lover.

By one great effort he rose again to the level of the ascetic passion that had glorified his life up to these last delirious weeks.

She had brought heaven to earth for him, but it should still be heaven, since her happiness demanded it.
And having reasoned thus, at last, for there seemed no end of her weeping, or any diminution of its bitterness, he touched her.

She started, and turned her streaming eyes to him, then, seeing who it was, threw her arms around his neck, and, as he sat beside her, laid her head on his shoulder clinging to him convulsively.
"You don't believe I love you, Paul; and I can't blame you for it, I can't blame you," she sobbed; "but I do, oh, I do!" "I do believe it.

I know it," he said.