下载辰思小说免费APP
Thetwopartieswhowerestrollingaboutandlosingtheirunitynowcametogether，andjoinedeachotherinalongstareovertheyellowandgreenpatchesoftheheatedlandscapebelow。
Thehotairdancedacrossit，makingitimpossibletoseetheroofsofavillageontheplaindistinctly。Evenonthetopofthemountainwhereabreezeplayedlightly，itwasveryhot，andtheheat，thefood，theimmensespace，andperhapssomelesswell-definedcauseproducedacomfortabledrowsinessandasenseofhappyrelaxationinthem。
Theydidnotsaymuch，butfeltnoconstraintinbeingsilent。
“Supposewegoandseewhat’stobeseenoverthere？“saidArthurtoSusan，andthepairwalkedofftogether，theirdeparturecertainlysendingsomethrillofemotionthroughtherest。
“Anoddlot，aren’tthey？“saidArthur。“Ithoughtweshouldneverget’emalltothetop。ButI’mgladwecame，byJove！
Iwouldn’thavemissedthisforsomething。“
“Idon’t_like_Mr。Hirst，“saidSusaninconsequently。“Isupposehe’sveryclever，butwhyshouldcleverpeoplebeso——Iexpecthe’sawfullynice，really，“sheadded，instinctivelyqualifyingwhatmighthaveseemedanunkindremark。
“Hirst？Oh，he’soneoftheselearnedchaps，“saidArthurindifferently。
“Hedon’tlookasifheenjoyedit。YoushouldhearhimtalkingtoElliot。It’sasmuchasIcandotofollow’ematall……Iwasnevergoodatmybooks。“
Withthesesentencesandthepausesthatcamebetweenthemtheyreachedalittlehillock，onthetopofwhichgrewseveralslimtrees。
“D’youmindifwesitdownhere？“saidArthur，lookingabouthim。
“It’sjollyintheshade——andtheview——“Theysatdown，andlookedstraightaheadoftheminsilenceforsometime。
“ButIdoenvythosecleverchapssometimes，“Arthurremarked。
“Idon’tsupposetheyever……“Hedidnotfinishhissentence。
“Ican’tseewhyyoushouldenvythem，“saidSusan，withgreatsincerity。
“Oddthingshappentoone，“saidArthur。“Onegoesalongsmoothlyenough，onethingfollowinganother，andit’sallveryjollyandplainsailing，andyouthinkyouknowallaboutit，andsuddenlyonedoesn’tknowwhereoneisabit，andeverythingseemsdifferentfromwhatitusedtoseem。Nowto-day，comingupthatpath，ridingbehindyou，Iseemedtoseeeverythingasif——“hepausedandpluckedapieceofgrassupbytheroots。Hescatteredthelittlelumpsofearthwhichwerestickingtotheroots——“Asifithadakindofmeaning。
You’vemadethedifferencetome，“hejerkedout，“Idon’tseewhyIshouldn’ttellyou。I’vefeltiteversinceIknewyou……It’sbecauseIloveyou。“
EvenwhiletheyhadbeensayingcommonplacethingsSusanhadbeenconsciousoftheexcitementofintimacy，whichseemednotonlytolaybaresomethinginher，butinthetreesandthesky，andtheprogressofhisspeechwhichseemedinevitablewaspositivelypainfultoher，fornohumanbeinghadevercomesoclosetoherbefore。
Shewasstruckmotionlessashisspeechwenton，andherheartgavegreatseparateleapsatthelastwords。Shesatwithherfingerscurledroundastone，lookingstraightinfrontofherdownthemountainovertheplain。Sothen，ithadactuallyhappenedtoher，aproposalofmarriage。
Arthurlookedroundather；hisfacewasoddlytwisted。Shewasdrawingherbreathwithsuchdifficultythatshecouldhardlyanswer。
“Youmighthaveknown。“Heseizedherinhisarms；againandagainandagaintheyclaspedeachother，murmuringinarticulately。
“Well，“sighedArthur，sinkingbackontheground，“that’sthemostwonderfulthingthat’severhappenedtome。“Helookedasifheweretryingtoputthingsseeninadreambesiderealthings。
Therewasalongsilence。
“It’sthemostperfectthingintheworld，“Susanstated，verygentlyandwithgreatconviction。Itwasnolongermerelyaproposalofmarriage，butofmarriagewithArthur，withwhomshewasinlove。
Inthesilencethatfollowed，holdinghishandtightlyinhers，sheprayedtoGodthat
