All that I had heard about
you--well, I dwelt upon it, and I felt that I must help you. It seemed
as if Fate--Chance--oh, I don't know what to call it!--had _sent_ me to
help you. And when I saw you--ah, well, I can't expect you to
understand what I felt!"
He stopped again, as if he himself were trying to understand it.
"The feeling that fate had something to do with it--you see, it was
quite by chance I started fishing that afternoon, that I saw you at the
house--gave me courage to ask you to let me help you. It sounded
ridiculous to you--of course it did!--but if you only knew how much it
meant to me! It meant that I should see you again; perhaps every day
for--for a long time: ah, well, it meant just life and death to me. And
now--!"
His breath came fast, his eyes dwelt upon her with passionate
eagerness; but he forced himself to speak calmly than he might not
frighten her from his side, might not lose her.
--"Now the truth has come upon me, quite suddenly. It was just now when
I saw that you cared what had happened to me, cared if I were
hurt!--Oh, I know, it was just because you were frightened, it was just
a woman's pity for a fellow that had come to harm, the fear lest I had
broken any bones; but--ah, it showed me my heart, it told me how much I
loved you! Yes; I love you! You are all the world to me: nothing else
matters, _nothing!_"
Her lips quivered, but she did not speak, and the look of trouble, of
doubt, did not leave her face.
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