"Indiana, you don’t know how I suffer—you cannot. As long as all the love is on my side, my wishes will be commands to you; my plans for your welfare and happiness—domination. There should be no such question between a man and wife who love each other. It could not have ended otherwise. A union without the sacred seal of love—is cursed." He went from her to the door, terribly agitated, wishing they could part finally, then and there, in order to spare himself the further torture of looking at Indiana with the thought that he had renounced her. "Thurston, you’ll shake hands with me—won’t you?" she asked, imploringly, a look of terror dawning in her eyes. He extended his hand, with averted gaze. Indiana grasped it quickly, then held it for dear life. "You shall listen to me," she pleaded, in a voice vibrating with intense emotion, her breast heaving, her eyes dilating, until they looked almost black under the yellow hair. "I won’t let you go until you’ve heard it. All my life I’ve queened it over people, delighting to feel my own power—to make the poor things who loved me bend to my will. Last night I saw the horror in your face when you turned from me—leaving me alone with my uncontrolled, undisciplined nature. Thurston, how could you expect me to be different? It wouldn’t be natural if I were. I wanted to queen it over my husband—to be put up on a pedestal and worshipped. I thought it was enough if I let him love me—but I never knew it was better to love than to be loved, to serve than to be served." She looked into his face with piteous eyes, and said, in a low, frightened voice, "Thurston, take my two hands—hold them fast—while I step down from my throne—and then, when we stand together, side by side, I can whisper in your ear—I never could up there—that I love you." "Indiana, for God’s sake, don’t play with me again!" he cried, passionately. She drew his head down to her and kissed him. "Thurston, husband," she murmured, in a low, wondering voice, "I love you better than myself." "Indiana!" He pressed her to his heart, with the feeling that they were on holy ground, even standing at the altar, and the sacred seal had just been set to their union. Indiana raised her head, the tears trembling on her lashes. "I’ll never break out again." "Yes, you will, but next time I will have love to help me. Indiana, look at me—look at me. I cannot realize it—my wife loves me! Do you remember one day, in the Adirondacks, out on the lake, at that weird place called the Devil’s Pulpit? I think—yes, it was the first day I spent with you—you wanted a story, and I gave you a part of my inmost life—do you remember?" "Yes, I remember—how clearly I remember. The great, black rock hanging over us; the blue mountains in the distance; your voice, telling me of the weaver—" "Indiana, his dream has come true—at last. ’And the web, transformed into a gleaming fabric of light, gladdened the soul of the weaver.’"