The questioner tried a smaller key. "What were you thinking," he asked, "when I joined you here to-night?"
"When you—? Oh, nothing we're thinking of now."
"At the same time, what was it?"
"Why—something rather too fanciful to put into words."
"All the same, let's have it."
"Well, for one thing, seeing and feeling this boat, with all its light and life, speeding, twinkling on and on through the night like a swarm of stars, the thought came—and I was wishing I could share it with you——"
The elder hand pressed the younger.
"The thought that since infinite space—" The thought seemed to stall, take breath, and start again—"since infinite space is lighted only by the stars, the rush and roll of this universe through space is forever and ever—in the large—a night scene—an eternal starlight. Is that absurd—to you?"
The father smiled: "Why, no. I merely—doubt it. All starlight is sunlight—near enough by."
"Yes. But between stars there is no near-by, is there?"