"Every bit."
"And yet you avoided me, passed me by, allowed another to step in."
"It was for you, for you. I wanted you to be happy," he murmured.
"I see that now, but I missed my friend."
"Your friend? Am I never to be anything more, Linda? I love you with my whole heart. You are the one woman in the world to me. Don't you think that some day you might learn to love me a little?"
Linda's face was aglow with a tender light; her eyes were like stars. "No, Berk," she said slowly, lingeringly, "I could never learn to love you a little."
He dropped her hand and looked down, all the hope gone from his face.
"Because," Linda went on, bending a little nearer that he could hear her whisper, "I already love you so much."
He gave a little joyous cry and sprang to his feet, all his divine right suddenly recognized. He held out his arms. "Come," he said.
Linda arose with shining face, stepped down from the platform and went to him.