Come and sit down a while and rest."
The girl, seeing Edward a little apart from the others, took a seat
beside him, at which distinct mark of preference the rest smiled. Her
lover alone wore a heavy frown. He glanced at the frouzy hair, to
which not even the beauty of the face beneath could reconcile him;
then at the scratched and sun-burned hands, and lastly at the stained
and battered gown. "Wanda," he said with stern brevity, "how did you
get your dress so wet?"
"Wading the brook," she replied, surveying the dripping and discoloured
skirt with entire indifference.
"That is very improper. You shouldn't do such things. Why are you not
quiet?"
"Only the dead are quiet; but perhaps you wish to kill me."
The remark was startling, but it was unaccompanied by a ray of emotion
in face or voice. Only in the large soft eyes lay a depth of suffering
such as he had seen in the look of a dying fawn, wounded by his hand.
"Your words pierce like arrows," she said.
"Dear Wanda, forgive me; I am expecting too much of you. It is
exceedingly cruel of me to make you suffer so."
"Wanda!" called one of a group of children, "come and swing us,
please.
Pages:
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291