Paul frowned; it was as if she thought him a baby.
Then the lady leant back and laughed, the sound was of golden bells.
"Yes, you are a baby!" she said, answering his thoughts. "A great, big, beautiful baby, Paul."
If Paul had been a girl he would have pouted.
She turned from him and gazed over the lake; it was looking indescribably beautiful, with the colours of the springtime.
"Do you see the green of those beeches by the water, Paul? Look at their tenderness, next the dark firs--and then the blue beyond--and see, there is a copper beech, he is king of them all! I would like to build a châlet up in some part like that, and come there each year in May--to read fairy-tales."
For the first time in his life Paul saw with different eyes--just the beauty of things--and forgot to gauge their sporting possibilities. An infinite joy was flooding his being, some sensation he had not dreamed about even, of happiness and fulfilment.
She appeared to him more alluring than ever, and young and gay--as young as Isabella! And then his thoughts caused him to take in his breath with a hiss--Isabella--how far away she seemed. Of course he could never love any one else--but-"Don't think of it, then," the lady whispered. "Be young like me, and live under the blue sky."
How was it she knew his thoughts always? He blushed while he stammered: "No--I won't think of it--or anything but you--Princess."
"Daring one!" she said, "who told you to call me that? The hotel people have been talking, I suppose."
"No," said Paul, surprised, "I called you Princess just because you seem like one to me--but now I guess from what you say, you are not plain Madame Zalenska."
Her eyes clouded for a second. "Madame Zalenska does to travel with--but you shall call me what you like."
He grew emboldened.
"I suddenly feel I want so much--I want to know why your eyes were so mocking through the trees on the Bürgenstock? They drove me nearly mad, you know, and I raced about after you like a dog after a hare!"
"I thought you would--you did not control the expression when you gazed up at me! And so I was the true hare--and ran away!"
She looked down suddenly and was silent for some moments, then she turned the conversation from these personal things. She led his thoughts into new channels--made him observe the trees and sky, and the wonderful beauty of it all, and with lightning flashes took him into unknown speculations on emotions and the meaning of things.