"And you wanted to--wanted to see through them?"

He was gazing at her now, and she suddenly looked down, while the most
beautiful transparent pink flushed her soft white cheeks, turning her
into a tender girl almost. The change was so sudden, it startled Paul,
and emboldened him.

"You wanted to!" he repeated in a glad voice. "You wanted to see me?"

"Yes," she whispered, and she looked up at him, but this time there
was mischief in her eyes.

"Is that why you sighed then among the ivy? What made you sigh?"

She paused a moment, and then she said slowly: "A number of
things. You seemed so young, and so beautiful, and so--asleep."

"Indeed I wasn't asleep!" Paul exclaimed. "It would take a great deal
more port than that to make me go to sleep. I was thinking of--" And
then he saw she had not meant that kind of sleep, and felt a fool--and
wondered.

She helped him out.

"All this time you have not told me why you were upset--upset enough
to drink bad port. That was naughty of you, Paul."

"I was upset--over you. I was angry because I was so interested--" and
he reddened again.