Between the moon and the eye the water lay like a sheet of frosted glass;elsewhere the water rippled without life or colour,treacherous and menacing in the night.
Jonah turned and looked at the woman beside him.They were alone on the rocky headland,the city and the world of men seemed remote and unreal,cut off by the silvery light and the brooding shadows.It dawned slowly on him that his relations with this woman were independent of time and space.Of all things visible,it was she alone that mattered.Often enough he had missed his cue,but now,as if answering a question,he began speaking softly,as if he were talking to himself:
"Clara!--Clara Grimes!--Clara!I've wanted ter say that out aloud fer months,but I've never found the place ter say it in.It sounds quite natural 'ere.Yer know that I love yer--I've seen it in yer face,but yer don't know that you're the first woman I ever wanted.No,yer needn't run away.I'm afraid ter touch yer,an'yer know it.Yer thought because Iwas married that I knew all about women.Why,I didn't know what women were made for till I met you.I thought w'en I 'ad the shop an'my boy that I had everythin'I wanted,but the old woman was right.There's a lot more in this world than I ever dreamt of.Seein'you opened my eyes.
An'now I want yer altogether.I want ter see yer face every 'our of the day,an'tell yer whatever comes into my mind.I spend 'ours talkin'to yer w'en I'm by myself.""It's only my right,"he went on,with increased energy."I'm a man in spite of my shape,an'I only ask fer what I'm entitled to.I can see that other men 'ave been gittin'these things without me knowin'it.Iused ter grin at Chook,but I was the fool.I had everythin'that I could see that was worth 'avin',an'somehow I wasn't satisfied.I never could see much in this life.I often wondered what it was all about.But now Iunderstand.What's this for,"and he indicated the dreamy peaceful scene with a sweep of his hand,"if it only leaves yer starin'and wonderin'?