The wood which the wind hadpassed through was
strangely silent. They must tell eachother of all the things they had thought and
felt since they hadmet.
But tonight let there be nothing, nothing to spoil
hisdream. By every tie that his heart andsoul knew he was bound to her.
Hush, madame, hush, the servants will hear you. He
beat his gloves on his arm till ittingled.
She had not expected that itwould be so serious and
absorbing either to Maria or to herself.
He protested again and again that he would not. We
shalleat out in the woods this way often.
Putty in the hands of some outside force that
mightmould him as it desired, not as he willed.
They were going to look for that tomorrow,she
said.
He would follow his regimen closely from nowon.
Turning he clasped Maria to him murmuring, Good-bye, good-bye. They came up out of
the forest into the old camp again.
He took her again and held her close in his arms. I
spoke to him through the window, madame.
The guests at the château stayed for several days.
He would soak himself for half a day in the hot water. The lights in thechâteau were
still burning.
She was reading Denis letter, the longabsence was
explained.
Even the little dog received a reassuring
pat.
He was somewhat nettled, but gladon the whole that
she had found the château so pleasant.
He had actually begun to miss his young wife and to
long for hercompany. Up here the red volcanic nature of the soil was apparent. Don
Luis was buoyantbut Maria had little to say. He looked doubtfully at the two figures
by the bank underthe pine trees.
The girl took the candle from her and rushed to the
window with itherself. His light was out, butI tapped on the frame.
He must have that near him in thefuture,
forever.
What a fool he had been, after dressing
socarefully, too! Don Luis had been carried to bed in the same state as the
nightbefore.
There were to be guests at the château next day!
The affair of madame hadconsequently taken on for Lucia a new aspect.
Nowhere could she find rest or satisfaction.
Nowhere could she find rest or satisfaction.
The arrangements atParis had taken much longer than
he supposed. Under therouge which Lucia had wisely applied she turned pale, but
managedto summon a smile. For an instant the spell of the afternoon recurred in
fullforce.
She comforted him for she knew not what, forsome
sorrow that lay within her, too.