'As a child you were so delightful.
And then you were so kind to me!'
At that word 'kind' from _her_ to _me_ I could restrain myself no
longer; I shouted with a wild laughter of uncontrollable passion as I
gazed at her through tears of love and admiration and deep
gratitude--gazed till I was blind. My throat throbbed till it ached:
I Could get out no more words; I could only gaze. At my shout
Winifred stood bewildered and confused. She did not understand a mood
like that. Having got myself under control, I said,
'Winifred, it is not my doing; it is Fate's doing that we meet here
on this night, and that I am driven to say here what I had as a
schoolboy sworn should be said whenever we should meet again.'
'I think,' said Winifred, pulling herself up with the dignity of a
queen, 'that if you have anything important to say to me it had
better be at a more seasonable time than at this hour of night, and
at a more seasonable place than on these sands.'
'No, Winifred,' said I, 'the time is _now_, and the place is
here--here on this very spot where, once on a time, you said
"certumly" when a little lover asked your hand.
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