The shifting of a smile to the gloom of a frown, the snap
of a string on the lute of our imagination, just at the point when
a rich melody is culminating; the waving of a hand, a vanishing
face--any eclipse of tender, joyous expectation--dashes a nameless
sense of despair into the soul. And a young girl's soul--who shall
uncover its sacred depths of sensitiveness, or analyze its
capacity for suffering under such a stroke?
On the fifth day of March, back came the victorious Helm, having
surrounded and captured seven boats, richly loaded with provisions
and goods, and Dejean's whole force. Then again the little Creole
town went wild with rejoicing. Alice heard the news and the noise;
but somehow there was no response in her heart. She dreaded to
meet Beverley; indeed, she did not expect him to come to her. Why
should he?
M. Roussillon, who had volunteered to accompany Helm, arrived in a
mood of unlimited proportions, so far as expressing self-
admiration and abounding delight was concerned. You would have
been sure that he had done the whole deed single-handed, and
brought the flotilla and captives to town on his back. But Oncle
Jazon for once held his tongue, being too disgusted for words at
not having been permitted to fire a single shot. What was the use
of going to fight and simply meeting and escorting down the river
a lot of non-combatants?
There is something inscrutably delightful about a girl's way of
thinking one thing and doing another.
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