It was singularly white,--new-fallen snow could be no whiter,--and, shaped like a huge bird, its great wings spread out to north and south were edged with a red-gold fire.

Seaton pushed an old tree stump into position and sat down upon it, making Manella sit beside him.
"Now for this talk!" he said--"Love is the subject,--Love the theme! We are taught that we must love God and love our neighbor--but we don't, because we can't! In the case of God we cannot love what we don't know and don't see,--and we cannot love our neighbor because he is often a person whom we DO know and CAN see, and who is extremely offensive.

Now let us consider what IS love?
You, Manella, are angry because I say there is no such thing--and you accuse me of indulging in love for a woman myself.

Yet--I still declare, in spite of you, there is no such thing as love! I ought to be ashamed of myself for saying this--so YOU think!--but I'm not ashamed.

I know I'm right! Love is a divine idea, never realised.