He had loosened her handkerchief and had covered her neck with a whole string of kisses. “See, Nina, I am jealous of this handkerchief which kisses your shoulders all through the day, and so I take its place. Do you not see, Nina, that I begin to obey you? I am taking the first lesson in jealousy.” ⁂ They were both leaning on the sill of a window which looked toward the sea. It was late, and the stars sparkled in a sky which was not yet dark, but no longer blue. No sound was heard save the murmur of the breeze among the palm leaves and the distant flow of the waves as they kissed the shore. They did not speak; but the arm of one entwined in that of the other spoke with the hand the words for which the lips were silent. A perfume of jasmine, pungent and voluptuous, rose from the garden and intoxicated those two. They were happy. She interrupted the long silence: “Dearest, even when you look at the sky and the sea do you not believe in God, in another life?” He did not answer, but, sighing, pressed her hand still more firmly. “After all, if you will let me say so, this negation of yours of all that reason cannot understand is nothing but pride pure and simple.” He was still silent and answered with another pressure of the hand, longer, more tender, and more passionate. “The ants come into life and die without knowing man or understanding him. Still man exists; and why cannot we be so many ants to another being more man, more god, more angel than we are?” And still no answer. His hands only answered with increasing tenderness. “But speak, my treasure; say something to me.” Here his obstinately closed lips opened: “But _Dr. Faust_ has already answered them in divine words to the _Margaret_ of Goethe.” “They may be divine words, if you will; but they do not please me at all. _Faust_ answers one interrogation with another. He answers like the ancient sybil.” “And in what other way can a man answer the problem, To be, or not to be? A dogmatic answer might be an offence to reason, and I hate to confess I believe in something I do not understand.” “Pride, pride, always pride; your modern science is entirely leavened with it.” “And your faith with superstition.” “No, my love, I do not wish to force my faith upon you; but believe something, make a faith for yourself, but do not tell me we shall not live even after death.” “Yes, my treasure, I also have my faith. Give me a kiss.” They kissed each other so long and so warmly that their kiss was the loudest sound heard in the deep surrounding stillness. “See, I believe in your love. I believe in the joy you give me. If you will, I also believe that our souls at this moment have come to our lips from the very depths of our being and have melted in an ecstasy of love.” “Well, and must these poor souls die with the bodies which inclose them?” “Ah, who knows?” “Then you doubt your own doubts?”