If you and I had lived together we might have been happy or not, we might have done good or ill to one another, but I shall never know what our love would have been if you had been mine. The only thing I know is that it would never have been what I dreamt that night when I stood with you in the moonlight while the fountain was playing.
And yet I would not have missed that dream, and I would not miss the dream I am dreaming now.
Jenny, I would give my life if you could meet me on the cliff and be as you were then, and kiss me and love me for one day, one hour. Always I am thinking of what it might have been if you had lived and been mine, and it seems to me that a boundless joy has been wasted. Oh, you are dead, and your death has made me so poor. I have only my dream of you, but if I compare my poverty with others’ riches it is ever so much more glorious. Not to save my life would I cease to love you and dream of you and mourn you.
Gunnar Heggen did not know that in the great storm of his heart he had lifted his arms towards heaven and was whispering to himself. The anemones he had picked were still in his hand, but he did not know it.
The soldiers on the wall laughed at him, but he did not see. He pressed the flowers to his heart, and whispered gently to himself as he walked slowly from the grave toward the cypress grove.
The following changes have been made to the text to correct suspected printing errors.
Page 27, “Sweedish” changed to “Swedish” (The Swedish sculptor sat)
Page 57, “Hebben” changed to “Heggen” (“If ever I meet that cad,” said Heggen)
Page 64, “give” changed to “gives” (reading always gives me a headache)
Page 69, “it” changed to “in” (When we walked about in the east end)
Page 75, “tobagganing” changed to “tobogganing” (I suppose the children are tobogganing)
Page 96, “captially” changed to “capitally” (Francesca suits her capitally)
Page 98, “cleargyman” changed to “clergyman” (the fat, red-haired clergyman)
Page 124, “smell” changed to “small” (the small shops)
Page 130, “This a” changed to “This is a” (This is a good studio, is it not?)
Page 141, “work it” changed to “work in it” (I suppose it is because they are made to work in it.)
Page 151, “esctasy” changed to “ecstasy” (to be hidden under the ecstasy)