"I carry the body of my love," he went on, "back with me to my home,
there to mourn for her; and I shall come no more to Strelsau."

Osra bent her eyes on his face as he knelt, and presently she said to
him in a whisper that was low for awe, not shame:

"You heard what she bade me do?"

"Yes, madam, I know her wish."

"And you would do it?" she asked.

"Madam, my struggle was fought before she died. But now you know that
my love was not yours."

"That also I knew before, sir;" and a slight, bitter smile came on her
face. But she grew grave again, and sat there, seeming to be
pondering, and Prince Ludwig waited on his knees. Then she suddenly
leant forward and said:

"If I loved I would wait for you to love. Now what is the love that I
cannot feel?"

And then she sat again silent, but at last raised her eyes again to
his, saying in a voice that even in the stillness of the room he
hardly heard:

"Now I do dearly love you, for I have seen your love, and know that
you can love; and I think that love must breed love, so that she who