It seemed to me as I let
the hand fall that I had never kissed a woman on the lips. I turned
and went slowly down the path. Once I looked back. I saw something
white lying at the foot of the tree. Heaven knows what a struggle it
was, but I went on. I wanted to take her in my arms and tell her that
I loved her. When I reached the inn I turned again, but I saw nothing.
I sat in my room a long time that night, smoking my pipe till the
candle gasped feebly and died in the stick, and the room was swallowed
in darkness.
I did not know, I was not sure, but I thought that, so long as I might
not love Phyllis, it would not be a very hard task to love her image,
which was Gretchen. You see, Phyllis was so very far away and Gretchen
was so near!
CHAPTER X
I lowered the glasses. I discerned them to be cavalrymen, petty
officers. They were mounted on spirited horses.
"Gretchen," said I, "they are cavalrymen. They do not wear the
Hohenphalian uniform; so, perhaps, it would be just as well for you to
go to your room and remain there till they are gone. Ah," said I,
elevating the glasses again; "they wear his Majesty's colors.
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