and gazing into her full blue eyes arched like the eyes of angels.

"I thought she was a girl! But she is a woman," he said in a voice of
caressing wonder. "A woman, and not afraid!"

"I am afraid. I will not be left--I will not be left again! Oh, you won't
take me, even when I offer myself to you!"

"Don't--don't tempt me!" Paul caught her to him with a groan. "You don't
know me well enough to be afraid of _me!_"

"You! You will not let me know you."

"Oh, hush, dear--hush, my darling! This isn't thinking. We must think for
our lives. I must take care of you, precious. We don't know where this
search may take us, or where it will end, or what the end will be." He
kissed the sleeve of her dress, and put her gently from him, so that he
could look her in the eyes. She gave him her full pure gaze.

"It is the poor man again. You said he would spoil our lives."

"He is _our_ poor man. You didn't go out of your way to find him. And your
way is mine."

"It is so heavenly to be convinced! Who taught you to see things at a
glance,--things I have toiled and bungled over and don't know now if I am
right! _Who_ taught you?"

"Do you think I stood still while you were away! Oh, my heart was sifted
out by little pieces."