Then she said, "But come, let us not waste time in
forebodings. Will you come with me into the house to see the likenesses
of things, or shall we have an hour alone together, and try to look into
essences?"
I caught her by the hand.
"No," I said, "I care no more about the machinery of these
institutions. I am the pilgrim of love, and not the student of
organisations. If you may quit your task, and leave your ladies to
regretful memories of their lap-dogs, let us go out together for a
little, and say what we can--for I am sure that my time is approaching."
Cynthia smiled and left me, and returned running; and then we rambled
off together, up the steep paths of the woodland, to the mountain-top,
from which we had a wide prospect of the heavenly country, a great blue
well-watered plain lying out for leagues before us, with the shapes of
mysterious mountains in the distance. But I can give no account of all
we said or did, for heart mingled with heart, and there was little need
of speech. And even so, in those last sweet hours, I could not help
marvelling at how utterly different Cynthia's heart and mind were from
my own; even then it was a constant shock of surprise that we should
understand each other so perfectly, and yet feel so differently about
so much.
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