From the moment of their reunion he had never touched her, save for
a quick, firm, smiling hand-clasp in the morning and another at the
night's parting.

Now, little by little, she was finding herself delightfully at ease
with him, emerging by degrees from her charming bewilderment out of
isolation to a happy companionship never before shared with any man.

Nor even vaguely had she dreamed that Drene could be such a man,
such a friend, never had she imagined there was in him such
kindness, such patience, such gentleness, such comprehension, such
virile sense and sympathy.

And never, now, was her troubled consciousness aware of anything
disquieting in his attitude, of anything to perturb her.

He seemed to enjoy himself like a boy, with her companionship,
wholly, heartily, without any motive other than the pleasure of the
moment; and so, little by little, she gave herself up to it too, in
the same fashion, unguardedly, frankly, innocently revealing herself
to him by degrees as their comradeship became deliciously
unembarrassed.

He was making a full length study in clay now. All day long she sat
there enthroned, her eyes partly closed, the head lifted a trifle
and fallen back, and her lovely hands resting on her heart--and
sometimes she strove to imagine something of the divine moment which
she was embodying; pondering, dreaming, wondering; and sometimes, in
the stillness, through her trance crept a thrill, subtle, exquisite,
as though in faint perception of the heavenly moment. And once, into
her halfdreaming senses came the soft stirring of wings, and she
opened her eyes and looked up, startled and thrilled.