“Here are we two,”—­he continued, softly—­“alone with the night and each other, close to the verge of a perfect understanding—­and yet—­ determined not to understand!  How often that happens!  Every moment, every hour, all over the world, there are souls like ours, barred severally within their own shut gardens, refusing to open the doors!  They talk over the walls, through the chinks and crannies, and peep through the keyholes—­but they will not open the doors.  How fortunate am I to-night to find even a port-hole open!”

He turned up his face, full of light and laughter, to mine, and I thought then, how easy it would be to fling away all my doubts and scruples, give up the idea of making any more search for what perhaps I should never find, and take the joy which seemed proffered and the love which my heart knew was its own to claim!  Yet something still pulled me back, and not only pulled me back, but on and away—­ something which inwardly told me I had much to learn before I dared accept a happiness I had not deserved.  Nevertheless some of my thoughts found sudden speech.

“Rafel—­” I began, and then paused, amazed at my own boldness in thus addressing him.  He drew closer to me, the boat he stood in swaying under him.

“Go on!” he said, with a little tremor in his voice—­“My name never sounded so sweetly in my own ears!  What is it you would have me do?”

“Nothing!” I answered, half afraid of myself as I spoke—­“Nothing—­ but this.  Just to think that I am not merely wilful or rebellious in parting from you for a little while—­for if it is true—­”

“If what is true?” he interposed, gently.

“If it is true that we are friends not for a time but for eternity"- -I said, in steadier tones—­“then it can only be for a little while that we shall be separated.  And then afterwards I shall be quite sure—­”

“Yes—­quite sure of what you are sure of now!” he said—­“As sure as any immortal creature can be of an immortal truth!  Do you know how long we have been separated already?”

I shook my head, smiling a little.

“Well, I will not tell you!” he answered—­“It might frighten you!  But by all the powers of earth and heaven, we shall not traverse such distances apart again—­not if I can prevent it!”

“And can you?” I asked, half wistfully.

“I can!  And I will!  For I am stronger than you—­and the strongest wins!  Your eyes look startled—­there are glimpses of the moon in them, and they are soft eyes—­not angry ones.  I have seen them full of anger,—­an anger that stabbed me to the heart!—­but that was in the days gone by, when I was weaker than you.  This time the position has changed—­and I am master!”

“Not yet!” I said, resolutely, withdrawing my hand from his—­“I yield to nothing—­not even to happiness—­till I know!”

A slight shadow darkened the attractiveness of his features.