"Ariel, it IS you?"
She looked at him and smiled.
"You'll be here always, won't you? You're not going away from Canaan again?"For a moment it seemed that she had not heard him.Then her bright glance at him wavered and fell.She rose, turning slightly away from him, but not so far that he could not see the sudden agitation in her face.
"Ah!" he cried, rising too, "I don't want you to think I don't understand, or that I meant _I_ should ever ask you to stay here! I couldn't mean that;you know I couldn't, don't you? You know Iunderstand that it's all just your beautiful friendliness, don't you?""It isn't beautiful; it's just ME, Joe," she said.
"It couldn't be any other way."