wanted."

"Shall I make something of you? What shall it be?"

"I don't care, so long as it is yours. Oh, make something of me. I've
been lonely always. I don't want to be any more. I want to be able to
come to you when I please, not only because I need so much to come, but
because you need me to come. Can you make me sure that you need me?
When no one has ever needed you, how can you believe...? Oh, no, no!
don't look sorry. I do believe it. And will you always stand with me
here in the loneliness that has been so dark? Then it won't be dark any
more. Why do two people make light? One alone only wanders and holds
out her hand and finds no one--nothing. Sometimes not even herself.
Will you be with me always?"

"Always."

"Why?"

"Because I love you."

"No," said Helen, "but because I love you."

"Tell me--WERE you frightened?"

"Of you? when I saw you at the door?"

"Yes. Were you?"

"Oh, my boy."

"But didn't you think I might be a scamp?"

"I didn't think about it at all. It wouldn't have made any difference."

"Then why were you as mum as a fish?"

"Oh, my boy."

"Why? why? why?--if you weren't frightened? Of course you were
frightened."

"No, no, I wasn't. I told you I wasn't. Why don't you believe me?-- Oh,
you're laughing at me again."

"You're blushing again."

"It's so easy to make me ashamed when I've been silly. Of course you
know now why I couldn't speak. You know what took my words away. Didn't
you know then?"

"How could I know? How could I dream it would be as quick for you as
for me?"

"One can dream anything...oh!"

"What is it, child?" For she had caught at her heart.

"Dreams...and not truth. Oh, are you here? Am I? Where are you--where
are you? Hold me, hold me fast. Don't let it be just empty dreams."

"Hush, hush, my dear. Dreams aren't empty. Dreams are as near the truth
as we can come. What greater truth can you ever have than this? For as
men and women dream, they drop one by one the veils between them and
the mystery. But when they meet they are shrouded in the veils again,
and though they long to strip them off, they cannot. And each sees of
each but dimly the truth which in their dreams was as clear as light.
Oh, child, it's not our dreams that are our illusions."

"No," she whispered. "But still it is not enough. Not quite enough for
the beloved that they shall dream apart and find their truths apart. In
life too they must touch, and find the mystery togeth