A Certain Light Was Beginning To Dawn

The Peace And Beauty Of A Spring Day Had Descended Upon The Earth Like A Benediction.

Why?" Asked Her Companion. "why Do You Love Him When You Ought Not To?" Edna, With A Motion Or Two, Dragged Herself On Her Knees Before Mademoiselle Reisz, Who Took The Glowing Face Between Her Two Hands. "why? Because His Hair Is Brown And Grows Away From His Temples; Because He Opens And Shuts His Eyes, And His Nose Is A Little Out Of Drawing; Because He Has Two Lips And A Square Chin, And A Little Finger Which He Can't Straighten From Having Played Baseball Too Energetically In His Youth. Because - " "because You Do, In Short," Laughed Mademoiselle.

Exhaustion Was Pressing Upon And Overpowering Her. "good-by--because I Love You." He Did Not Know; He Did Not Understand. He Would Never Understand. Perhaps Doctor Mandelet Would Have Understood If She Had Seen Him--but It Was Too Late; The Shore Was Far Behind Her, And Her Strength Was Gone. She Looked Into The Distance, And The Old Terror Flamed Up For An Instant, Then Sank Again.

The Past Was Nothing To Her; Offered No Lesson Which She Was Willing To Heed. The Future Was A Mystery Which She Never Attempted To Penetrate. The Present Alone Was Significant.

He Could See Plainly That She Was Not Herself. That Is, He Could Not See That She Was Becoming Herself And Daily Casting Aside That Fictitious Self Which We Assume Like A Garment With Which To Appear Before The World.