out of the shadow above.

She stopped her work in real, momentary astonishment.

“But why?” she exclaimed, in pure surprise.

“Why?” he echoed, ironically.

And she looked at him fixedly for some moments. Then she leaned forward and kissed him, with a slow, luxurious kiss, lingering on the mouth. And then she took the lanterns from him, while he stood swooning with the perfect fire that burned in all his joints.

They lifted the canoe into the water, Gudrun took her place, and Gerald pushed off.

“Are you sure you don’t hurt your hand, doing that?” she asked, solicitous. “Because I could have done it perfectly.”

“I don’t hurt myself,” he said in a low, soft voice, that caressed her with inexpressible beauty.

And she watched him as he sat near her, very near to