He saw himself
for an instant lit by a glare of fire. He looked, he stared upon
himself.
And he shivered, as if he had drawn close to, as if he had stood by, a
thing coated with ice.
And he dared to come here, to pursue such a woman as Hermione! He
dared to think that he could have any power over her, that his ice
could have any power over her fire! He dared to think that! For a
moment all, and far more than all, his former feelings of
unworthiness, of helplessness, of cowardice, rushed back upon him.
Then, abruptly, there came upon him this thought--"Vere believes I
have power over Hermione." And then followed the thought--"Gaspare
believes that I have power over her." And the ice seemed to crack. He
saw fissures in it. He saw it melting. He saw the "thing" it had
covered appearing, being gradually revealed as--man.
"Vere believes in my power. Gaspare believes in my power. They are the
nearest to Hermione. They know her best. Their instincts about her
must be the strongest, the truest.
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