An hour later, when he returned, only Ana was downstairs. After saying good evening, seeing that Ana was by herself, he prepared to go out again. Ana, who saw he was about to open the door, asked him: "What do you want, Sandu? Whom are you looking for?" "For the mistress." "Then wait for her, she will soon come. Sit down." Sandu seated himself on the edge of a chair. Ana was sewing; he watched her hands with their rapid movements, and his eyes were absorbed in looking at something more beautiful than he had ever seen before. Ana felt she was being watched. This idea seemed to hurry her, and she grasped her needle and began to sew quickly. The more intently he watched her, the more embarrassed did Ana become, and a rosy flush mantled her cheeks. A sort of fever came over her, and in her innermost soul she was picturing Sandu to herself, how he was sitting on the chair with his black eyes fixed upon her, and his eyes were so beautiful and so eloquent, and Sandu was good-looking. She could bear it no longer, his look seemed to burn her. "Sandu, why do you look at me like that?" "I--I--was not looking." A long silence followed. Their souls seemed to draw near each other in the silent room; they spoke no word, but it was as though they told each other many things and understood each other very well. He was very conscious of her, so near to him, her light breath was almost inaudible, but it made his heart beat fast; she was very conscious of him, and something intangible but sweet seemed to invade their hearts. She felt as though she could not sew, and he found it hard to look at her. He was afraid of offending her and he was shy, and he felt he should be ashamed for her to find his glance resting upon her hands. He kept his head down. But Ana would have liked to look at him, she would have liked to bask in the light of his eyes, for she felt happy enveloped in their warm glow. Sandu did not lift his head. She dropped her ball of thread. Roused by the noise, Sandu jumped as though he had been burnt. He searched under the table and saw it. She forgot to thank him, and he could not say a word, but their eyes met and they both blushed. The time passed on. "The mistress does not come," said Sandu a little later, "and I wanted to tell her that I had to stay some time where she sent me." "She will soon come," replied Ana. "Sandu, you told Mother that I had been in the workshop?" she suddenly questioned, looking straight at him. "I did not tell her." "Then who can have told her?" "It was not I, and I do not know who it was." "How Mother scolded me! And she said I had stayed a long while talking to you. Was I a long time?" "Certainly not; you just came to tell me to put the sandals in the boxes, and then you went away." "Why doesn't Mother like my talking to you when Father says you are so good?" He said nothing; she stopped; and a few moments later the mistress came in.