et it is a
hazardous game, this piercing of eye with eye, because the point which
seeks to penetrate may soften and melt, leaving one defenseless. For
perhaps ten seconds that straight look lasted, while it seemed to her
that she read clear into the soul of him, and to behold it, through
some befooling magic, as strong, tender, wise, and true, as his outward
appearance would have made an innocent stranger believe him; for he
looked all these things; she admitted that much; and he had an air of
distinction and resource beyond any she had ever known, even in the wild
scramble for her kitten he had not lost it. So, for ten seconds, which
may be a long time, she saw a man such as she had dreamed, and she did
not believe her sight, because she had no desire to be as credulous as
the others, to be as easily cheated as that poor Fanchon!

The luckless Tom found his own feet beautiful on the mountains, and,
treading the heights with airy steps, appeared to himself wonderful and
glorified--he was waltzing with Miss Betty He breathed the entrancing
words to himself, over and over: it was true, he was waltzing with Miss
Betty Carewe! Her glove lay warm and light within his own; his fingers
clasped that ineffable lilac and white brocade waist. Sometimes her hair
came within an inch of his cheek, and then he rose outright from
the hilltops and floated in a golden mist. The glamour of which the
Incroyable had planned to tell her some day, surrounded Tom, and it
seemed to him that the whole world was covered with a beautiful light
like a carpet, which was but the radiance of this adorable girl whom his
gloves and coat-sleeve were permitted to touch. When the music stopped,
they followed in the train of other couples seeking the coolness of
out-of-doors for the interval, and Tom, in his soul, laughed at all
other men with illimitable condescension.

"Stop here," she said, as they reached the open gate. He was walking out
of it, his head in the air, and Miss Betty on his arm. Apparently, he
would have walked straight across the State. It was the happiest moment
he had ever known.

He wanted to say something wonderful to her; his speech should be like
the music and glory and lire that was in him; therefore he was shocked
to hear himself remarking, with an inanity of utterance that sickened
him:

"Oh, here's the gate, isn't it?"

Her answer was a short laugh. "You mean you wish to persuade me that you
had forgotten it was there?"