. He was as
different from anyone I'd ever seen as Moira was. How can I say to you
what I saw and felt. I knew that he belonged to Moira and Moira belonged
to him. If I'd have met him at the ends of the earth I'd have known
that they belonged together. We all dream about things like this when
we're young--about there being a perfect love for us somewhere on
earth--but there isn't, because we're not good enough.

The perfect flower can't bloom in most gardens. What these two had was
love beyond love--the thing that poor, blundering mankind's been working
for and straining toward all down the ages.

Love was what they had, not dimmed and tarnished, not the little flicker
that comes for a moment and is gone, like in most of our lives, but the
pure fire. The love that mankind tries to find in God--the final wonder.
Some of us, at most, have a day or hour--a vision that's as far off and
dim as northern lights.

Mis' MacFarland and me looked at each other and, without saying
anything, we walked from the room. I saw tears streaming down her face
and then I realized that I couldn't see for my own, I was crying the way
you may do twice in your life, if you're lucky, because you've seen
something so beautiful, poor, weak human nature can't bear it.

After a long time Mis' MacFarland spoke.

"It has to happen on earth, once in a while," she said, "the heart's
desire to millions and millions of people living and dead--the dream of
all who know the meaning of love. Sometimes it must come true."

That's how it made me feel, and I've always wanted to be a witness to
what I saw--but there aren't many to whom you dare to tell it.

After a time we went back and he was lying there, his face shining like
Moira's had when she'd found him in the dark spaces where she'd had to
search for him. His hair was like dark silver, and his eyes were young
like Moira's and blue as the sea at dawn. Wisdom was what was in his
face, and love--and he lay there, quiet, holding Moira's hand in his.

But even as I looked a change came over him and I saw the end wasn't far
away, and Moira saw it and clung fast to him.

"Take me with you," she said. "I have found you and can't leave you.
I've looked for you so often and I couldn't find you. We lost each
other so many times and the road together was so blind."

"It's all the same," he said, "she knows." He nodded to Mis' MacFarland.
"It's all the same."

Mis' MacFarland motioned to me and I came to h