Beyond the Rocks

"I think I am going to make an immense change and learn to take pleasure

in the running brooks," he said. "Will you help me?"

"I know so little, and you know so much," and her sweet eyes became soft

and dreamy. "I could not help you in any way, I fear."

"Yes, you could--you could teach me to see all things with fresh eyes.

You could open the door into a new world."

"Do you know," she said, irrelevantly, "Sarah--my eldest sister--Sarah

told me it was unwise ever to talk to strangers except in the

abstract--and here are you and I conversing about our own interests and

feelings--are not we foolish!" She laughed a little nervously.

"No, we are not foolish because we are not strangers--we never were--and

we never will be."

"Are not strangers--?"

"No--do you not feel that sometimes in life one's friendships begin by

antipathy--sometimes by indifference--and sometimes by that sudden

magnetism of sympathy as if in some former life we had been very near

and dear, and were only picking up the threads again, and to such two

souls there is no feeling that they are strangers."

Theodora was too entirely unsophisticated to remain unmoved by this

reasoning. She felt a little thrill--she longed to continue the subject,

and yet dared not. She turned hesitatingly to the Count, and for the

next ten minutes Lord Bracondale only saw the soft outline of her

cheek.

He wondered if he had been too sudden. She was quite the youngest person

he had ever met--he realized that, and perhaps he had acted with too

much precipitation. He would change his tactics.

The Count was only too pleased to engage the attention of Theodora. He

was voluble; she had very little to reply. Things went smoothly. Josiah

was appreciating an exceedingly good breakfast, and the playful sallies

of the fair widow. All, in fact, was couleur de rose.

"Won't you talk to me any more?" Lord Bracondale said, after about a

quarter of an hour. He felt that was ample time for her to have become

calm, and, beautiful as the outline of her cheek was, he preferred her

full face.

"But of course," said Theodora. She had not heard more than half what

the Count had been saying; she wished vaguely that she might continue

the subject of friendship, but she dared not.

"Do you ever go to Versailles?" he asked. This, at least, was a safe

subject.

"I have been there--but not since--not this time," she answered. "I

loved it: so full of memories and sentiment, and Old-World charm."