D' yer notice the way she looks at him, Jos? Don't she jest set a
store by thet feller? 'N' I don't blame her."
Indeed, Jos had noticed. No man was likely to see Ramona with
Alessandro without perceiving the rare quality of her devotion to
him. And now there was added to this devotion an element of
indefinable anxiety which made its vigilance unceasing. Ramona
feared for Alessandro's reason. She had hardly put it into words to
herself, but the terrible fear dwelt with her. She felt that another
blow would be more than he could bear.
The storm lasted only a few hours. When it cleared, the valley was
a solid expanse of white, and the stars shone out as if in an Arctic
sky.
"It will be all gone by noon to-morrow," said Alessandro to Jos,
who was dreading the next day.
"Not really!" he said.
"You will see," said Alessandro. "I have often known it thus. It is
like death while it lasts; but it is never long."
The Hyers were on their way to some hot springs on the north side
of the valley. Here they proposed to camp for three months, to try
the waters for Jos.
Pages:
577
578
579
580
581
582
583
584
585
586
587
588
589
590
591
592
593
594
595
596
597
598
599
600
601