I knew it before he did -- but not , as I think , before Marcella did , for those young , straight-gazing eyes of hers were wonderfully quick to read into other people 's hearts . I watched them together and saw the love growing between them , like a strong , fair , perfect flower , whose fragrance was to endure for eternity . Miss Sara saw it , too , and was half-pleased and half-worried ; even Miss Sara thought the Doctor too old for Marcella ; and besides , there were the Barrys to be reckoned with . Those Barrys were the nightmare dread of poor Miss Sara 's life . The time came when Doctor John 's eyes were opened . He looked into his own heart and read there what life had written for him . As he told me long afterwards , it came to him with a shock that left him white-lipped . But he was a brave , sensible fellow and he looked the matter squarely in the face . First of all , he put away to one side all that the world might say ; the thing concerned solely him and Marcella , and the world had nothing to do with it . That disposed of , he asked himself soberly if he had a right to try to win Marcella 's love . He decided that he had not ; it would be taking an unfair advantage of her youth and inexperience . He knew that she must soon go to her father 's people -- she must not go bound by any ties of his making . Doctor John , for Marcella 's sake , gave the decision against his own heart . So much did Doctor John tell me , his old friend and confidant . I said nothing and gave no advice , not having lived seventy-five years for nothing . I knew that Doctor John 's decision was manly and right and fair ; but I also knew it was all nullified by the fact that Marcella already loved him . So much I knew ; the rest I was left to suppose . The Doctor and Marcella told me much , but there were some things too sacred to be told , even to me . So that to this day I do n't know how the doctor found out that Marcella loved him . All I know is that one day , just a month before her sixteenth birthday , the two came hand in hand to Miss Sara and me , as we sat on Miss Sara 's veranda in the twilight , and told us simply that they had plighted their troth to each other .
I looked at them standing there with that wonderful sunrise XXXXX life and love on their faces -- the doctor , tall and serious , with a sprinkle of silver in his brown hair and the smile of a happy man on his lips -- Marcella , such a slip of a girl , with her black hair in a long braid and her lovely face all dewed over with tears and sunned over with smiles -- I , an old woman , looked at them and thanked the good God for them and their delight .
So besides between by in like of that to with