Aniela, after a momentary silence, gave me her hand.  “I always had that friendship for you.” she said, “and I promise you from my heart and soul.”

I winced at the word “friendship,” which is too small for me, and does not express our feelings.  But I did not say anything.  “The word ‘love’ still frightens her,” I said to myself; “she will get accustomed to it by and by;” and since the thing is essentially the same, it was not worth while to disturb the peace at which we had arrived through stormy seas of misunderstandings, troubles, and sorrows.  We are both so tired that the rest is welcome and is worth making some little sacrifices for.

Besides, it was a mere shadow, that disappeared in the joyful light of the thought that the dear being belongs to me and is spiritually my faithful wife.  I would have given anything if to a question “Are you really mine?” she had answered in the affirmative.  I would have asked the question a hundred times a day and never tired of the answer; but at this moment I did not want to frighten her.  I, who can make allowance for so many things, understand that there are certain words which, however expressive of the existing state of things they may be, come with difficulty from a woman’s lips,—­especially from those of such a woman as Aniela.  Yet every word she said was a confession that she loves me; and did she not consent that our souls should belong to each other?  What more could I wish for?

When we had gone as far as the Schreckbruecke, we turned back.  On the way we tried to look at our new position, as people look around a new house and try to make themselves at home in it.  This did not come easy to either of us at first.  Even this pleased me, for it seemed to me that thus bride and bridegroom would feel a few hours after they were joined in wedlock, while yet they had not had time to grow accustomed to each other.  Nevertheless I spoke a great deal about us both.  I explained to her the holiness and purity of such a union as ours.  I tried to inspire her with trust and confidence.  She listened to me with a bright, serene countenance, and now and then turned her beautiful eyes towards me.  The serenity of the weather corresponded with the serenity of our souls.  The sun had gone down behind the mountains; and they shone now in their evening dress of purple.  I offered my arm to Aniela, which she accepted, and so we went together in the soothing stillness of the evening.  Suddenly I noticed that her step had grown uncertain, as if she were afraid of something, and her face became very white.  It lasted only a minute, but her disturbance was so evident that I got frightened for her, and began to ask what had frightened her.

At first she did not want to tell me, but when I insisted she confessed reluctantly that the unfortunate cretin had come into her mind, and that for an instant she had felt afraid he might suddenly jump up from the roadside.

“I do not know,” she said, “why he should have made such a horrible impression on me, and feel ashamed to have such silly nerves, but I would not meet him again for anything in the world.”