Then she leaned forward and kissed him, with a slow, luxurious kiss, lingering on the mouth.
And then she took the lanterns from him, while he stood swooning with the perfect fire that burned in all his joints.
They lifted the canoe into the water, Gudrun took her place, and Gerald pushed off.
'Are you sure you don't hurt your hand, doing that ?' she asked, solicitous.

'Because I could have done it PERFECTLY.' 'I don't hurt myself,' he said in a low, soft voice, that caressed her with inexpressible beauty.
And she watched him as he sat near her, very near to her, in the stern of the canoe, his legs coming towards hers, his feet touching hers.

And she paddled softly, lingeringly, longing for him to say something meaningful to her.

But he remained silent.
'You like this, do you ?' she said, in a gentle, solicitous voice.
He laughed shortly.
'There is a space between us,' he said, in the same low, unconscious voice, as if something were speaking out of him.

And she was as if magically aware of their being balanced in separation, in the boat.