She threw aside her cape and hat, arranged her hair with her hand, and sat down in silence. Great alarm was evident on her face. "I hear thee, Yosef." "It is four years since the death of Gustav, who confided thee to me. I have kept the promise given him as well as I was able, and as I knew how, but the relation between us has not been such as it should be. This must change, Helena." He needed to draw breath, he had to pronounce sentence on himself. In the silence which lasted awhile, the beating of Helena's heart could be heard. Her face was pale, her eyes blinked quickly, as is usual with women who are frightened. "Must they change?" whispered she, in a scarcely audible voice. "Be my wife." "Yosef!" She placed her hands together, as if for prayer, and looked at him a moment with eyes wandering because of pressing thoughts and feelings. "Be my wife. The time of which I spoke to thee before has come." She threw her arms around his neck, and put her head on his breast. "Thou art not trifling with me, Yosef? No, no! Then I shall be happy yet? Oh, I love thee so!" Helena's bosom rose and fell, her face was radiant, and her lips approached his. "Oh, I have been very sad, very lonely," continued she, "but I believed in thee. The heart trusts when it loves. Thou art mine! I only live through thee--what is life? If one laughs and is joyful, if one is sad and weeps, if one thinks and loves--that is life. But I rejoice and I weep only through thee, I think of thee, I love thee. If people wished to divide us I should tear out my hair and bind thy feet with it. I am like a flame which thou mayst blow. I am thine--let me weep! Dost thou love me?" "I love." "I have wept for so many years, but not such tears as I shed to-day. It is so bright in my soul! Let me close my eyes and look at that brightness. How much happiness in one word! Oh, Yosef, my Yosef, I know not even how to think of this." It was grievous for him to hear words like those from Helena; he felt the immense falsehood and discord in which his life had to flow with that woman thenceforward, that woman so beautiful, so greatly loving, and loved so little. He rose and took farewell of her. Helena, left alone, placed her burning forehead against a pane of the window, and long did she stand thus in silence. At last she opened the window, and, placing her head on her palm, looked into the broad, sparkling summer night. Silent tears flowed down her face, her golden tresses fell upon her bosom, the moonlight was moving upon her forehead and putting a silvery whiteness on her dress. CHAPTER XIV