TheinterviewdescribedinthepreviouschaptertouchedVanBergdeeply,butitsclosepuzzledhim.Undertheinfluencesofhisarousedfeelingshadhisfaceexpressedmorethanmeresympathy?
Hadherstrongintuition,thatwaslikeasecondsight,interpretedhisheartmoreclearlythanhehadbeenabletounderstandithimselfasyet?Reasonandjudgement,hisprivycouncil,hadalreadybeguntoadvisehimtowinifpossiblethisunselfishmaiden,whowithadivinealchemytransmutedhershadowsintosunshineforothers,andoftensuggestedthethought,ifshecandothisinsorrow,howinexpressiblyhappyshemightmakeyouandyouragedfatherandmotherifyoucouldfirstfindoutinsomewayhowtomakeherhappy.
Indeed,soclearacasedidthesecounsellorsmakeout,thatconscienceaddedherauthoritativevoicealso,andassuredhimthathewouldbefalsetohimselfandhisfuturedidhenot,totheutmost,availhimselfandhisfuturedidhenot,totheutmost,availhimselfoftheopportunityofwinningonewhosesocietyfromthefirsthadbeenaninspirationtobetterthoughtsandbetterliving.
Untilthiseveninghishearthadremainedsluggish.Sweetandpotentashervoicehadbeen,ithadnotpenetratedtothe\"holyofholies\"withinhissoul.Buthadnotherlowsadtonesechoedthereto-nightinthehalfinvoluntaryconfidenceshehadgivenhim?
Inhisdeepsympathy,intheansweringfeelingevokedbyherstrongbutrepressedemotion,hethoughthishearthadbeenstirredtoitsdepths,andthathenceforthitschiefdesirewouldbetobanishthesorrowfulmemoriestypifiedtohermindbytheblackcloudsabovehim.Hadhisfacerevealedthisimpulseofhisheartbeforehehadbeenfullyconsciousofithimself?Wasitanunwelcomediscovery,thatshesohastilyfledfromit?Orhadshebeenonlystartled——hermaidenlyreserveshrinkingfromthefirstfore-shadowingofthesupremerequestthatsheshouldunveilthemysteriesofherlifetoonewhobutnowhadbeenastranger?Hedidnotknow.Hefelthescarcelyunderstoodherorhimself;buthewasconsciousofahopethatbothmightmeettheirhappyfateineachother.