sharply, almost petulantly, and her foot struck
smartly on the boards. "I wonder how much you think--think--"

"Think _lots_," I said simply, watching her little toe as it tapped.

"Well, _I_ should think as much!" And this time her laugh was
short--oddly constrained. She looked away off down the slope to the
river. "_Oh!_" This time it was a tiny gasp as of dismay. And the toe
tapped like an electric what's-its-name.

"Yes," I said, watching it musingly, "I suppose it's because you're the
only girl, don't you know, that I ever _did_ think of before--oh, ever
at all, dash it!"

The toe stopped. I could _feel_ her looking at me sidewise, but I did
not glance up, that I remember; was looking down, trying to get hold of
a dashed idea I wanted to express.

"Don't know," I continued, boring away at her toe, yet hardly seeing it,
"but suppose that's the reason I knew all the time she was _lying_; but
still, somehow that doesn't seem to be the _real_ reason I knew. I think
the real reason I knew it couldn't be and wasn't true was"--I sighed
heavily--"oh, dash it, it's _so_ hard to get hold of the jolly thing!"

And there was a pause.

"The real reason?" her voice coaxed gently.

"Was because--" Then she moved the toe and it put me out--"I think just
because--oh, yes, I _know_ now!" And I looked up eagerly. "Just because
I knew that you--are _you_!" I finished beamingly.

"Oh, I see!" She said it musingly, her finger lightly pressing upon her
lips, her beautiful eyes studying me with the oddest, keenest
side-glance.

A pause; and then: "And _how_ long have you known me, pray? Just a--"

"A thousand years!" I said promptly and earnestly. "A thousand years and
all my life, don't you know! Never will know you any better."

"I wonder," she murmured, nodding slowly. And then for a moment she
didn't say a word, just sat there looking me over curiously, her
expression half shy, half quizzical, don't you know.

Then her smile flashed again--a radiant, dazzling brightness that
brought her nearer, like the effect of the sunlight's sudden gleam there
at times upon the blue line of the "West Shore" away across the broad,
three-mile span of the old Tappan Zee.

"And now"--again her splendid young arms were clasped, wing-like, behind
her head; and its golden glory hung like a picture against the dark vine
leaves, bossed with the clustered purple flowers--"now," she repeated,
settling comfortably, "you must just go on and tel