She looked at me with a little puzzled wrinkle on her brow, and
said, with a smile:--
"It is absolutely wonderful that you should be here, and I should not
know it; and that I should be here, and you should not know it."
Ever since my meeting with Mother Anastasia it had been my purpose, as
soon as I could find or make an opportunity, to declare to Sylvia my
love for her. Apart from my passionate yearning in this direction, I
felt that what I had done and attempted to say when I had parted from my
secretary made it obligatory on me, as a man of honor, to say more, the
moment I should be able to do so.
Now the opportunity had come; now we were alone together, and I was able
to pour out before her the burning words which so often, in my hours of
reverie, had crowded themselves upon my mind. The fates had favored me
as I had had no reason to expect to be favored, but I took no advantage
of this situation. I spoke no word of love. I cannot say that Sylvia's
demeanor cooled my affection, but I can say that it cooled my desire for
instantaneous expression of it. After her first moments of astonishment,
her mind seemed entirely occupied with the practical unraveling of the
problem of our meeting. I endeavored to make this appear a very
commonplace affair.
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