Then, however, the strange thing happened.

When the star was hung in the air between earth and sky and nearer to the earth, it opened like a flower and disclosed in its bright heart the face of a girl, which was yet brighter.

And that girl's face, with the broad low brows and the dark eyes and the smile which held all earth and much of heaven, stooped and stooped out of fire through the cool dark towards him until her lips touched his.

It was then that he woke, quietly as was his wont, without any start, without opening his eyes, and at once he was aware of someone breathing.
He raised his eyelids imperceptibly and peered through his eyelashes.

He saw close beside him the lower part of a woman's frock, and it was the frock which Clementina wore.