The Shining Barrier (The Pagan Love) Summary and Analysis

Van remembers meeting Davy and falling in love; he requests his money back for a badly tinted print and it is her job not to give it to him. Struck by her eyes, though angry at the time, when he later needs a date he thinks of her, and eventually they find themselves chatting alone by a fireplace. They discover quite a lot in common: a love of the sea, boats, dogs, poetry, owls, and the pain of beauty. They enjoy each other continuously from that night on. She is gay, straight, eager and valiant, and they learn about each other as eagerly as they can, the spark bouncing between them strengthening with every exchange. They shared "a pagan love."

Throughout the first spring, they recognize the completeness of their abandon...