"They confer often together. Whittal hath just
come in from the woods, whither he is much inclined to pass an hour or
two, each evening. Thou wast saying that now we have our sister--?"
"I feel less desire to change my abode."
"Then why not stay with us for ever, Martha?"
"Hist!" interrupted his companion, who, though conscious of what she was
about to listen to, shrunk, with the waywardness of human nature, from the
very declaration she most wished to hear, "hist--there was a movement. Ah!
our Ruth and Whittal are fled!"
"They seek some amusement for the babe--they are near the out-buildings.
Then why not accept a right to remain for ever----"
"It may not be, Mark," cried the girl wresting her hand from his grasp;
"they are fled!"
Mark reluctantly released his hold, and followed to the spot where his
sister had been sitting. She was, in truth, gone; though, some minutes
passed before even Martha seriously believed that she had disappeared
without an intention of returning. The agitation of both rendered the
search ill-directed and uncertain, and there was perhaps a secret
satisfaction in prolonging their interview even in this vague manner, that
prevented them for some time from giving the alarm.
Pages:
671
672
673
674
675
676
677
678
679
680
681
682
683
684
685
686
687
688
689
690
691
692
693
694
695