impression which, when she some minutes later
softly retraced her steps, was to be the sharpest she
carried away. This was the impression that if the
girl was deeply and recklessly meditating there, she
was not meditating a jump; she was on the con
trary, as she sat, much more in a state of uplifted
and unlimited possession that had nothing to gain
from violence. She was looking down on the king
doms of the earth, and though indeed that of itself
might well go to the brain, it wouldn't be with a
view of renouncing them. Was she choosing
among them, or did she want them all? This ques
tion, before Mrs. Stringham had decided what to
do, made others vain; in accordance with which she
saw, or believed she did, that if it might be danger
ous to call out, to sound in any way a surprise, it
would probably be safe enough to withdraw as she
had come. She watched a while longer, she held
her breath, and she never knew afterwards what
time had elapsed.

Not many minutes probably, yet they had not
seemed few r, and they had given her so much to
think of, not only while creeping home, but while
waiting afterwards at the inn, that she was still busy
with them when, late in the afternoon, Milly reap
peared. She had stopped at the point of the path
where the Tauchnitz lay, had taken it up and, with
the pencil attached to her watchguard, had scrawled
a word a bientot! across the cover; then, even
under the girl's continued delay, had measured time

[[139]]

p138 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p139w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p140

v?