Leni doesn’t know how she’ll react when she sees Matthew, which is why she enters the cabin by herself. Although Matthew doesn’t immediately recognize her, she is clearly still in his thoughts, as the painting that says “HER” demonstrates. In addition, it is evident that Matthew has significantly improved since the last time Leni saw him. He is able to paint and has some control over language. These details don’t fully register with Leni until later, but Matthew’s condition is actually much better than what seemed possible earlier in the novel.