Butifmydaysaretakenupwithworkandmynightswithschool, whenamIgoingtoseeyou?—wasMartin'sfirstthought, , hesaid:-

"''—" hethoughtofherandhisdesiretohaveher—"andIcan''tthetimetospare, infact."

"Thereissomuchthatisnecessary." Shelookedathimgently, andhewasabrutetoopposeher."Physicsandchemistry—youcan'tdothemwithoutlaboratorystudy; andyou', thespecialistsintheartofimpartingknowledge."

Hewassilentforaminute, castingaboutfortheleastvaingloriouswayinwhichtoexpresshimself.

"Pleasedon'tthinkI'mbragging," hebegan."Idon', 'velearnedmuchofotherthings—'—" Hehesitatedandassuredhimselfofthepronunciationbeforehesaid "momentum.I'mgettingmyfirstrealfeelofthingsnow.I'mbeginningtosizeupthesituation—"

"Pleasedon'tsay 'sizeup,'" sheinterrupted.

"Togetalineonthings," hehastilyamended.

"Thatdoesn'tmeananythingincorrectEnglish," sheobjected.

Heflounderedforafreshstart.

"WhatI'mdrivingatisthatI'mbeginningtogetthelayoftheland."

Outofpitysheforebore, andhewenton.

", -room, that'''tmakeitup, don''sallinthechart-roomandtheyknowtheirwayaboutinit, andit'''mat—What'swrongnow?"

"Don'tsay 'whereI'mat.'"

"That'sright," hesaidgratefully, "—Imean, whereamI? Oh, yes, , somepeople—"

"Persons," shecorrected.

"Somepersonsneedguides, mostpersonsdo; butIthinkIcangetalongwithoutthem.I'vespentalotoftimeinthechart-roomnow, andI'montheedgeofknowingmywayabout, whatchartsIwanttoreferto, , I', youknow, isthespeedoftheslowestship, 'tgoanyfasterthantheruckoftheirscholars, andIcansetafasterpaceformyselfthantheysetforawholeschoolroom."

"'Hetravelsthefastestwhotravelsalone,'" shequotedathim.

ButI'dtravelfasterwithyoujustthesame, waswhathewantedtoblurtout, ashecaughtavisionofaworldwithoutendofsunlitspacesandstarryvoidsthroughwhichhedriftedwithher, hisarmaroundher, ! Ifhecouldsoframewordsthatshecouldseewhathethensaw! Andhefeltthestirinhim, likeathroeofyearningpain, , thatwasit! , andfelt, , , , , withopeneyes, andhewouldstruggleandtoilandlearnuntil, witheyesunblindedandtongueuntied, , ofmakingwordsobedientservitors, , andhewasagaincaughtupinthevisionofsunlitspacesandstarryvoids—untilitcametohimthatitwasveryquiet, andhesawRuthregardinghimwithanamusedexpressionandasmileinhereyes.

"Ihavehadagreatvisioning," hesaid, ? , andTennyson, andKipling, "Pearldiving." Hehadneverdaredthebigthings, , andagainhismindflashedanddared, , too, asthepoetsdid? !—

, , waveuponwave, masteringthebronzeofittilltheblushofshameflaunteditselffromcollar-rimtotherootsofhishair.

"I—I—begyourpardon," hestammered."Iwasthinking."

"Itsoundedasifyouwerepraying," shesaidbravely, , andshewasshocked, notmerelyasamatterofprincipleandtraining, butshockedinspiritbythisroughblastoflifeinthegardenofhershelteredmaidenhood.

Butsheforgave, , andhewastryingsohard, andsucceeding, , -fouryearswithoutasingleloveaffairdidnotfitherwithakeenperceptionofherownfeelings, andshewhohadneverwarmedtoactuallovewasunawarethatshewaswarmingnow.