But it hurt me , too . I did not know that a person could like anything that hurt her . I do not know why it hurt me . I felt as if I had lost something that I never had . That was a very silly feeling , was it not ? But I did not understand the book very well , you see . It is about love and I do not know anything about love . Mother told me once that love is a curse , and that I must pray that it would never enter into my life . She said it very earnestly , and so I believed her . But your book teaches that it is a blessing . It says that it is the most splendid and wonderful thing in life . Which am I to believe ? '' `` Love -- real love -- is never a curse , Kilmeny , '' said Eric gravely . `` There is a false love which IS a curse . Perhaps your mother believed it was that which had entered her life and ruined it ; and so she made the mistake . There is nothing in the world -- or in heaven either , as I believe -- so truly beautiful and wonderful and blessed as love . '' `` Have you ever loved ? '' asked Kilmeny , with the directness of phrasing necessitated by her mode of communication which was sometimes a little terrible . She asked the question simply and without embarrassment . She knew of no reason why love might not be discussed with Eric as other matters -- music and books and travel -- might be .
`` No , '' said Eric -- honestly , as he thought , `` but every one has an ideal of love whom he hopes XXXXX meet some day -- ` the ideal woman of a young man 's dream . '
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