Love Eternal

第27章

ThisreflectionbroughtsomethingtoGodfrey’smindwhichhadescapeditinhisfirstdisturbance,alsoconnectedwithaflower。TherecamebeforehimthevisionofaLondonsquare,andofatall,palegirl,inanantiquedress,givingarosetoamaninknight’sarmour,whichrosebothofthemkissedsimultaneously。Ofcourse,whenhesawithehadruledouttheroseandonlythoughtofthekisses,although,nowthathecametothinkofit,aroseisofamuchthickertexturethanalily。Ashehadwitnessedthatlittlescene,anddrawnhisownconclusions,soothershadwitnessedanotherlittlescenethatafternoon,andmadetherefromdeductionswhich,inhisinnocentsoul,heknewtobetotallyfalse。Suppose,then,that/his/deductionswerealsofalse。Oh!itwasnotpossible。Besides,abarrierbuiltofroseleaveswasnotsufficient,whichagain,withperfectjustice,herememberedwasexactlywhatBrotherSmithandProfessorPetersenhadthoughtofonecomposedoflilypetals。

Thereforthetimethematterended。Juliettereappearedonthemorrowquitecuredofherheadache,andasgayandcharmingasever。Possiblyshehadconfidedinhermamma,whohadtoldherthatafterallthingswerenotsoterrible,evenifthey/had/beenseen。

Atanyrate,theequilibriumwasrestored。Godfreyactedonhissolemnresolutionsofhaughtinessanddetachmentforquiteanhour,afterwhichJuliettethrewakittenathimandaskedwhatwasthematter,andthensanghimoneofherpretty/chansonettes/totheaccompanimentofaguitarwiththreestrings,whichclosedtheincident。Stilltherewerenomoreflowerhuntsandnonewadventures。

Tacitly,butcompletely,everythingofthesortwasdroppedoutoftheirrelationship。Theyremainedexcellentfriends,onaffectionatetermsindeed,butthatwasall。

Meanwhile,owingtohisdoubtsarisingoutofasingularcoincidenceconcernedwithflowersandkisses,GodfreygraduallymadeuphismindtowritetoIsobel。Indeed,hehadhalfcomposedtheepistlewhenattheendofoneofhisbrieflettershisfatherinformedhimthatshehadgonetoMexicowithheruncle。Soitcameaboutthatitwasneverposted,sinceitisakindofsuperstitionwithyoungpeoplethatletterscanonlybedeliveredattheplacewheretheaddresseelastresided。Itrarelyoccurstothemthatthesemaybeforwarded,andultimatelyarrive。Nor,indeed,diditoccurtoGodfreythatasIsobel’sunclewastheBritishMinistertoacertaincountry,anenvelopeaddressedtoherinhiscareinthatcountryprobablywouldhavereachedher。

Shewasgoneandtherewasanend;itwasofnousetothinkmoreofthematter。Still,hewassorry,becauseinthatsameletterhisfatherhadalludedcasuallytothedeathofLadyJane,whichhadcausedHawk’sHalltobeshutupforawhile,andhewouldhavelikedtocondolewithIsobelonherloss。Heknewthatshelovedhermotherdearly,andofthisgentleladyhehimselfhadveryaffectionateremembrances,sinceshehadalwaysbeenmostkindtohim。Yetforthereasonsstated,heneverdidso。

AboutafortnightaftertheflowerepisodeachancecameGodfrey’swayofmakinganAlp-climbingexpeditioninthecompanyofsomemountaineers。TheywerefriendsofthePasteurwhojoinedthepartyhimself,butstayedinavillageatthefootofthemountainstheyweretoclimb,sinceforsuchexercisehehadlostthetaste。Thefirsttwoexpeditionswentoffverysuccessfully,Godfreyshowinghimselfmostagileatthesportwhichsuitedhisadventurousspiritanddelightedhim。Bynature,notwithstandinghisdreamycharacteristics,hewasfearless,at

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