remain in the dark without thinking and without suffering, without desire, without regret, feeling only a meek longing, a tender desire to be good to Marie.
LThe morning came and with it a message of explanation, then Marie herself; and all the bewildering shadows of the night had disappeared. The explanation was as simple as could be, and it was only by mere accident that it had not reached me the evening before.
What a fool I had been, to fear that Marie would desert me. No! she was mine more than ever before. My heart swelled with joy—away with such weakness. Still I can ride, unscathed, through the battle, still victory follows my banner.
Marie, if you had seen me last night! Now you only see me as before, confident, and smiling most graciously, taking it all just for what it was—an annoying mistake. Did I play my part well? or did you suspect there was something behind, something I wanted to hide from you? Did you feel, when I held you in my arms, that my happiness was greater than I would admit? Did you see through all my cunning, I wonder, when you discovered the burnt-down candles on the daintily-laid table, and with a reproachful smile said, 'You have been sitting up late again!' And when I answered, 'Yes, I had important work to finish,' was it quite ingeniously, quite without a spice of malice that you rejoined, 'Yes, what else should have kept you up?'
