answered, "I admire it all very much, it is sincere, no one appears
other than he is, or aims at being or seeming more. Your house is the
same back and front, and you, none of you have a wrong side, the
whole life is solid right through."

Joost did not quite understand; had she not guessed that to be likely
she would hardly have spoken so frankly. "I fear I do not understand
you," he said; "it is difficult when we do not know each other's
language perfectly."

"We know it very well," Julia answered; "as well as possible. If we
were born in the same place, in the same house, we should not
understand it better."

He still looked puzzled; he was half afraid she was laughing at him.
"You think I am stupid?" he said, gravely.

She denied it, and they walked on a little in silence. They were in
the quieter part of the town now and could talk undisturbed; after a
little he spoke again, musingly.

"Often I wonder what you think of, you have such great, shining eyes,
they eat up everything; they see everything and through everything, I
think. They sweep round the room, or the persons or the place, and
gather all--may I say it?--like some fine net--to me it seems they
draw all things into your brain, and there you weave them and weave
them into thoughts."

Julia swallowed a little exclamation, and by an effort contrived not
to appear as surprised as she was by this too discerning remark. She