Sandra Belloni -- Volume 2

head bent, like a penitent: now and then peeping up and breathing to the keen scent of the te

hem had sunk, he said "Y

d have to walk. How

ered: "I

here in some conve

forget;" a little queru

st have got your harp to this

!" a sob chec

her. "Never mind the har

one!" sh

get you

ver love an

hear good news o

ands. The third blow was the o

yet knew that she was in some way guilty, she accused herself of disregard for that dear harp while it was brilliant and serviceable. "Now I remember what poor

fall on her throat, shook her body fretfully, much as a pettish little girl

nk about it," said he. "It's o

ve seen killed like a l

il

, till Wilfrid remarked

o heed to the name. The

ide, moved him to entre

one when she answered t

f it's about the harp, look!-you shall go into that cottage where the light is, sit there,

not crying for the harp. If yo

. You must never be found i

d. "You cannot go without me. Let me

shadowy blue centre of light among the clouds told where the moon was. Rain had ceased, and the

icker than his brain in feeling it. Her voice now, even in common speak

u know," he said, for the sake of keep

was Emilia's sedate e

on, but while the colour mounted to her eyes, they kept their

had turned into a darker path. "I am not. I hung my head while you were fighting, because,

or that sort of devotion. What are you thinking of? It w

eption of the recent

rls is at home; that'

re..." Her voice flowed on with

led mechanically to h

ing that it aimed at him. She was really a darling little woman: only too absurd! Had she been on the point of saying that she would always like to be where he, Wilfrid, was? An odd touch of c

r," said

through the future with her young brain,

e you with all my soul," as could be imagined. Extremely refined young ladies could har

or his vanity, Wilfrid returned emphatic

erated idea of this night's work. Remember, also,

see him," s

ed, for a diversion, thoug

e him t

ptly: nor could he hold bot

lfrid whispered: "men ki

ht? and are

e moon stood like a windblown white rose of the heavens. The kiss was given and taken. S

om Richford, with the instinct to sting his heart by a revival of his jealous se

y from me?" he said,

romi

reak a promise t

I w

sed Captai

se poor

orry that

e was

your harp by it

ed. "I feel guilty of something all those days that I touched it, not thinking

itude," Wilfrid appended, "pray give me non

nk him and hold his hand. I told him of my promise. He spoke to me a moment in the garden, you know. He said he was leaving t

the carriage, and told h

o not like us t

sorts of things on conditio

: I do forget! How can

"I feel as if I had been

e plainspoken simile gave him a chilling sensa

you to Italy? Put your hea

t caused him some astonishment, for he had stru

"He wishes me to owe my learning to him. He says it will ma

moodily into th

ting another "Yes": but it came: and her rather faltering manner showed h

say you w

d

swer crossed li

d jump

etestable," he said, glanci

ked a flower off the tree

at space of sky with broken cloud full of the glory of the moon. The meadows dipped to a brook, slenderly spanned by a plank. Then there was an ascent throu

d, "With Captain Gambier, I mean." He was suffering, and by being

o be led over, and answered, as she

nner at that moment was equal to any lady's; and the phantom of her with her hand out, and her frank look, and trustful footing, while

hought of her tenderly, was with her now, having raised her to his level with a touch! How much might they not accomplish together: he with sword, she with harp? Through shadowy alleys in the clouds, Emilia saw the bright Italian plains opening out to her: the cities of marble, such as her imagination had fashioned them, porticos of stately palaces, and towers, and statues white among cypresses; and farther, minutely- radiant in the

t response from England, with electric

g to you. Oh, happy time!" she exclaimed, t

e booth?" muttered

full a heart, she did not attempt to explain herself further

ed it might be going. This (he was happily as ignorant as any other youth of the working of his machinery) prompted him to bid her sing before they parted. Emilia checked her steps at once to do

his anger, took his hand to beg for

king a rare illumination of sparks in his not commonly brilliant brain. In truth, that little episode showed an image of nature weak with the burden of new love. I do not charge the young cavalry officer with the power of perceiving images. He saw no more than that she could not sing because of what was in her heart toward him; but such a physical revelatio

was, while the moon slipped over banks of marble into fields of blue, and all the midnight promised silence. They p

t he should feel pain at being separated from her for half-a-dozen hours, persuaded him th

morning," h

n by daylight,"

shade-I cannot s

ilia was moving out o