"You
have forgiven her, then?" said Rowland.
"Not a bit of it!"
"I don't understand."
"Neither do I. I only know that she is incomparably beautiful, and that
she has waked me up amazingly. Besides, she asked me to come."
"She asked you?"
"Yesterday, in so many words."
"Ah, the jade!"
"Exactly. I am willing to take her for that."
"Why in the name of common sense did you go back to her?"
"Why did I find her standing there like a goddess who had just stepped
out of her cloud? Why did I look at her? Before I knew where I was, the
harm was done."
Rowland, who had been sitting erect, threw himself back on the grass and
lay for some time staring up at the sky. At last, raising himself, "Are
you perfectly serious?" he asked.
"Deadly serious."
"Your idea is to remain at Interlaken some time?"
"Indefinitely!" said Roderick; and it seemed to his companion that the
tone in which he said this made it immensely well worth hearing.
"And your mother and cousin, meanwhile, are to remain here? It will soon
be getting very cold, you know."
"It does n't seem much like it to-day.
Pages:
587
588
589
590
591
592
593
594
595
596
597
598
599
600
601
602
603
604
605
606
607
608
609
610
611