She was so happy, the tears came into her eyes. This strange desire to wear his hair long as a woman's had been a bugbear to her. This foppishness, freakishness, superstition, whatever it was, it made him remarkable. She could n't suffer to have men smile at him. "If you only knew how happy you make me!" He was ludicrously nervous as she shore off the great red braids. He was more, he was frightened. The burden gone, he strolled casually around, picked up a little bar of iron at the fireplace, twisted it to form a loop, was satisfied. Glanced at himself in the long metal mirror, smiled. "I think it suits me well." A thrill of delight came to Delilah, a new, a younger Samson had appeared. Her heart went pit-a-pat.... A great dignity sat on him now, and he weighed his words at the table. Gone with his hair was his old arrogance, and seemingly his race hatred.... The Philistines spoke among themselves, wondering how she had done it. This quiet, well-groomed man, remarkable only for his size and height, could this be the same red rebel whom they had known a few short months ago? A wonderful woman. But when the Hebrews heard of it, a great chill fell on their hearts, and they wrung their hands. "They have cut off our Samson's hair. Oh, woe!" they cried. "The woman enticed him, and he a Nazarite unto God from his mother's womb. Oh, woe! Oh, woe! Gone is his strength now, and gone is glory!" But the red one, all agog with his new worldliness, paid no heed to them, went never near them. For some brief weeks Delilah knew happiness such as she never believed possible in earth or heaven.... So fine, so strong he looked, so greatly he acted, so--so fully he loved.... Of course it could n't have lasted, she knew now. How fast catastrophe! Quietly he said one day: "How soon it gets dark! Night falls faster than it used. An hour ago the sun was shining, and now it is dark." She felt as if some cruel fingers had seized her heart, her throat. She froze to the ground. "What did you say?" "I say, why don't the maidens bring lights?" "Not yet, dear heart.... Let us stay in the warm dusk. Wait, I take your hand." A few days later he stumbled and all but fell, was clumsy. She flew to his side. "My eyes," he said, "a touch of sun. Nothing particular." But she sent for a physician. "It's nothing," Samson said. "Something I 've eaten. I 'll go to sleep." "Dear Samson, to please me." The physician examined his eyes. "Well?" Delilah drew him aside. "The early days in the desert.... He is going blind." "Is there no hope, no cure?" "None." A little laugh of agony came from her. Great Samson blind! The little lover blind!... Oh, God!... "Shall we tell him?" "No, no!" she burst out. Maybe there was some mistake! "No. We sha'n't tell him." A few days later came a great bellow from the garden!