She interpreted it, that he had made a deep confession of love to her.

But he was so absurd in his words, also.
They were silent for many minutes, she was pleased and elated like a child.

His concentration broke, he began to look at her simply and naturally.
'What I want is a strange conjunction with you--' he said quietly; 'not meeting and mingling--you are quite right--but an equilibrium, a pure balance of two single beings--as the stars balance each other.' She looked at him.

He was very earnest, and earnestness was always rather ridiculous, commonplace, to her.

It made her feel unfree and uncomfortable.