"I thought I could not be mistaken in my man," answered Ah Ben. "I
have believed in your frankness, honor, and courage from the
beginning; and although you came to this house with the intention of
deceit, I feel sure that in the more serious situations of life you
are to be relied upon. You have spoken to Dorothy, Mr. Henley, and I
am confident she shares my trust in you."
"I hope so," answered Paul.
"I know it," the old man replied; "and let me tell you further that
this match is not one subservient to the ends of utility or profit;
for, were such the motive, the very end would be defeated. Dorothy
must love the man she marries, with all her heart and soul; and you
can readily understand, ostracized as we are, how difficult it has
been to find such a one. For more than a century we have sought in
vain, and I have pressed every opportunity and strained every power
to bring about such a meeting and such a result as I trust will
shortly follow; but the world has given us no chance, and those few
who have been able to see us have only fled in terror!"
"Am I at liberty, then, to prove my devotion to your daughter by
asking her to marry me?"
"You have already done so," replied Ah Ben, "and I have already given
my consent; but I warn you, Mr. Henley, that in your intercourse with
my daughter you should remember that you are dealing with a nature
far more intense, and with far greater capacity to love, than any you
have ever known. While the most fervid desire of Dorothy's life has
doubtless been to meet some creature with whom she might affiliate, I
believe she would forego even that happiness if convinced that it
would prove disastrous to the object of her affection."
Paul extended his hands to Ah Ben, who took them with fervor. "Dear
old man!" he said, "although I am speaking to a ghost, I am not
afraid of you; and knowing how much you have suffered, it shall be my
aim to help and comfort you; for have you not shown me how close is
the other world, and so in a measure removed the dread of death? How
truly do I feel that those who have left us may be close around us,
although we can not see them."
And then, with a new light on all that surrounded him, Paul bade Ah
Ben good-night, and went to his room.