"But now come in and lie down on the sofa, and rest, while I make you a
cup of coffee," said Marian.
But the same expression of cunning came again into the poor creature's
face, as she said:
"In the house? No, no--no, no! Fanny has learned something. Fanny knows
better than to go under roofs--they are traps to catch rabbits! 'Twas in
the house the Destroyer found us, and we couldn't get out! No, no! a
fair field and no favor and Fanny will outfly the fleetest of them! But
not in a house, not in a house!"
"Well, then I will bring an easy chair out here for you to rest in--you
can sit under the shade, and have a little stand by your side, to eat
your breakfast. Come; come nearer to the house," said Marian, taking
poor Fanny's hand, and leading her up the walk.
They were at the threshold.
"Are you Marian?" poor Fanny asked, abruptly.
"Yes, that is my name."
"Oh, I oughtn't to have come here! I oughtn't to have come here!"
"Why? What is the matter? Come, be calm! Nothing can hurt you or us
here!"
"Don't love! Marian, don't love! Be a nun, or drown yourself, but
never love!" said the woman, seizing the young girl's hands, gazing on
her beautiful face, and speaking with intense and painful earnestness.
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