"Yes, of course there are lots of engagements this summer, and a quiet evening at home like this seems very welcome occasionally. One likes too, sometimes, to renew acquaintance with the moon. After living among rosy, violet, pale green, and white search lights, and all sorts of spectacular electrical effects so much, one comes back to moonlight on the water as to an old friend."
The girl clasped her hands above her head upon the down pillow, and allowed Page to look at her, which he was not slow to do.
"I miss your sister and Jack, this evening. Where are they?"
"Columbus knows! Since the authorities have been Barnumizing the Fair, as they call it, one is led on to stay, and stay, and stay, to see this race or that dance or the other illumination. I left them after the noon concert."
"You were there, then. Of course you are fond of music."
"I enjoy it very much, although Clover says I don’t. She and Jack are cranks about it. I am not."
"They have one strong predilection in common, then."
Mildred did not reply; and Page continued: "The effect of music upon a person who is in sympathy with it is an interesting study. Those involuntary chills that pass over one under the moving influence of good music are rather annoying to me. I do not wish to be moved uncontrollably by anything. I wish to decide just how deeply to feel on any subject. Do you know what I mean?"
"Yes, exactly." The decision of the girl’s reply rather surprised her companion. She let him look deep into her luminous eyes set in the moonlight fairness of her face. "And further than agreeing with you in the desirability of the principle," she added, "I carry the theory into practice."
"Do you mean to say that you are always able to let your head decide what your heart shall feel?"
"But that is no common characteristic in a woman. With women the heart speaks first usually."
"Not in the case of the well-balanced woman."
"Then perhaps you can tell me," said Page, much surprised and interested, "perhaps you will be good enough to tell me what your ideas are concerning love. There, too, do you think it possible for the head to speak first?"
Mildred let a repressed laugh burst its bounds. "Do you mean, do I think it possible to fall in love head first?"