She came forwards, and threw herself passionately
into my arms, murmuring words of delight and welcome, like a child.
"I knew you would come," she said. "I am frightened--all sorts of
dreadful things have happened. I have found out where I am--and I seem
to have lost all my friends. Charmides is gone, and Lucius is cruel to
me--he tells me that I have lost my spirits and my good looks, and am
tiresome company."
I looked at her--she was paler and frailer-looking than when I left her;
and she was habited very differently, in simpler and graver dress. But
she was to my eyes infinitely more beautiful and dearer, and I told her
so. She smiled at that, but half tearfully; and we seated ourselves on a
bench hard by, looking over the garden, which was strangely and
luxuriantly beautiful.
"You must take me away with you at once," she said. "I cannot live here
without you. I thought at first, when you went, that it was rather a
relief not to have your grave face at my shoulder,"--here she took my
face in her hands--"always reminding me of something I did not want, and
ought to have wanted--but oh, how I began to miss you! and then I got so
tired of this silly, lazy place, and all the music and jokes and
compliments.
Pages:
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233