than Alvan's wish; she believed in his wishing it. Then as he wished and
she wished, she had the will immediately, and it was all the more her own
for being his as well. She hurried her friend and her friend's friends
on horseback off to the heights where the wounded eagle lodged
overlooking mountain and lake. The professor reported him outwearied
with excess of work. Alvan lived the lives of three; the sins of thirty
were laid to his charge. Do you judge of heroes as of lesser men? Her
reckless defence of him, half spoken, half in her mind, helped her to
comprehend his dealings with her, and how it was that he stormed her and
consented to be beaten. He had a thousand occupations, an ambition out
of the world of love, chains to break, temptations, leanings . . .
tut, tut! She had not lived in her circle of society, and listened to
the tales of his friends and enemies, and been the correspondent of
flattering and flattered men of learning, without understanding how a man
like Alvan found diversions when forbidden to act in a given direction:
and now that her healthful new blood inspired the courage to turn two
wishes to a will, she saw both herself and him very clearly, enough at
least to pardon the man more than she did herself. She had perforce of
her radiant new healthfulness arrived at an exact understanding of him.
Where she was deluded was in supposing that she would no longer dread his
impetuous disposition to turn rosy visions into facts. But she had the
revived convalescent's ardour to embrace things positive while they were
not knocking at the door; dreams were abhorrent to her, tasteless and
innutritious; she cast herself on the flood, relying on his towering
strength and mastery of men and events to bring her to some safe landing
--the dream of hearts athirst for facts.