ALEXANDRA—Forgive me. I am unpracticed in such things. I didn’t mean to
be rude.
AGI—I know, your highness. The reason I misunderstood was because while
I was in the midst of my description of the constellation of the Eagle,
your highness suddenly stood up ... and so I thought I ought to stand up
too, and finish the sentence on the way. I was saying that these seven
stars represent a flying eagle and that the eagle’s head——
ALEXANDRA—That’s where I stood up.
AGI—Yes. And it never occurred to me that you were making your escape.
ALEXANDRA—Your stars _were_ beginning to get tiresome.
AGI—I am sorry, your highness.
ALEXANDRA—I had expected to hear about the mysteries and the miracles
of the sky, and you spoke only of names and numbers. I never knew the
subject was so tedious.
AGI—The stars have their emotional side, too. But I didn’t dare to speak
of it.
ALEXANDRA—Perhaps ... that might have been more exciting.
AGI—I could have told you how across those vast distances and beyond the
millions of stars one’s thoughts go on to God and His eternity ... to
life and death ... to life—[_softly_] and love.
ALEXANDRA—[_Coldly._] Can your imagination bridge such vast distances as
that?