sumed Martin) when Helen began her lonely listening of
heart and ears betwixt the seashell and the millstones of her dreams,
there was not, dear Mistress Jennifer, a silver thread in her black
locks to vex you with. For a girl of seventeen is but a child. Yet old
enough to begin spinning the stuff of the spirit...

"My boy!--

"Oh, how strange it was, your coming like that, so suddenly. Before I
opened the door I stood there guessing...And how could I have guessed
this? Did you guess too on the other side?"

"No, not much. I thought it might be a cross old woman. What did YOU
guess?"

"Oh, such stupid things. Kings and knights and even women. And it was
you!"

"And it was you!"

"Suppose I'd been a cross old woman?"

"Suppose I'd been a king?"

"And you were just my boy."

"And you--my sulky girl."

"Oh, I wasn't sulky. Oh, didn't you understand? How could I speak to
you? I couldn't hear you, I couldn't see you, even!"

"Can you see me now?"

She was lying with her cheek against his heart, and she turned her face
suddenly inwards, because she saw him bend his head, and the sweetness
of his first kiss was going to be more than she could bear.

"Why don't you look up, you silly child? Why don't you look at me,
dear?"

"How can I yet? Can I ever? It's so hard looking in a person's eyes.
But I am looking at you, I AM, though you can't see me."

"Then tell me what color my eyes are."

"They're gray-green, and your hair is dark red, a sort of chestnut but
a little redder and rough over your forehead, and your nose is all over
freckles with very very snub--"

(Martin: Heaven help you, Mistress Jennifer!

Jennifer: W-w-w-w-why, Master Pippin?

Martin: Were you not about to fall again?

Jennifer: N-n-n-n-no. I-I-I-I-I--

Martin: I see you are as firm as a rock. How could I have been so
deceived?)

He shook her a little in his arms, saying: "How rude you are to my
nose. I wish you'd look up."

"No, not yet...presently. But you, did you look at me?"

"Didn't you see me look?"

"When?"

"As soon as you opened the door."

"What did you see?"

"The loveliest thing I'd ever seen."

"I'm not really--am I?"

"I used to dream about you at night on my watches. I made you up out of
bits of the night--white moonlight, black clouds, and stars. Sometimes
I would take the last cloud of sunset for your lips. And the wind, when
it was gentle, for your voice. And the movements of the sea for your