is love that all he gives me I cherish and am grateful
for; by this means, whether he love me much or little, I shall
always be satisfied.

You must not suppose, because of what I say, that he does not love
me intensely; my love is unmatchable, that is all. He tells me every
day that he could not live without me, and, indeed, it is true. He
relies upon me entirely, calls upon my care incessantly; and very
sweet it is to feel that the supreme God of my Heaven is as a child
in my arms. Ah, I am happy, the world is good, and now the spring is
coming. We rejoice in the growth of the year; Gabriel longs for the
first primrose. He is so hard at work that I think it unlikely we
shall get married before the end of April; the poem is writing
itself at present; it would be a sin to interfere with its progress.
I think, too, that if he can possibly finish it, he will be able to
go away with a greater content upon him, with the satisfaction that
only achievement brings. It is, in fact, very long since he last
completed anything.

And then I shall take him away, I, in his full content, to the
sunshine, to the land of dreams.

There are still some things I can hardly realise.

Good-bye, dearest.
EMILIA.

LETTER XXXIV.

GRAYSMILL, March 20th.

My beloved Constance, I am glad your letter of this morning has made
me a little unhappy; I have been a selfish brute, thinking of none
but myself, and him. I little thought, whilst I lay basking in the
sun, that you stood there shrouded in densest fog. I wish I had
written every day, you poor sweet!

But now I have evolved a plan, and Gabriel thinks with me that it is
a good one. You will find me rather prosaic, yet indeed, sweetheart,
I think you cannot be well; these doleful dumps have nothing in
common with your nature. You are not well, you have no friend to
cheer you, and this melancholy is the result.

Come to us! Gabriel and I are the most undecided beings in creation;
ten days ago he threw up his poem in disgust; there was nothing for
it but to get married at once and start for Italy. A few days later,
inspiration set in, and now he is again so deep in his verse that we
shall stay here until the poem is finished. Come to us! You will
find us excellent company. Yes, dearest, you must do this; who knows
when we may be together agai