Daisy In The Field
Page 208"I know no such thing. There is nothing good in this place, -
except you, - and I suppose that is the reason you have chosen
it for your abode. I can't imagine how Aunt Randolph came to
let you, though."
"She let me come to take care of you."
"I'm not worth it. What's a man good for, when there is only
half of him left? I should like just to get into one other
field, and let powder take the other half."
"Hush, Preston! hush; you must not talk so. There's your
mother."
"My mother won't think much of me now, I don't know why she
should. You never did, even when I was myself."
be much more than your old self, if you would."
Preston frowned and rolled his head over on the pillow.
"Confounded!" he muttered. "To be in such a den of Yankees!"
"You are ungrateful."
"I am not. I owe it to Yankee powder."
What, perhaps, had Southern powder done? I shivered inwardly,
and for a moment forgot Preston.
"What is the matter?" said he. "You look queer; and it is very
queer of you to spill my tea."
"Drink it then," I said, "and don't talk in such a way. I will
not have you do it, Preston, to me."
breakfast and I turned from him. As I turned, I saw that the
bed opposite, where Morton had died a few hours before, had
already received another occupant. It startled me a little;
this quick transition; this sudden total passing away; then,
as I cast another glance at the newly come, my breath stood
still. I saw eyes watching me, - I had never but once known
such eyes; I saw an embrowned but very familiar face; as I
looked, I saw a flash of light come into the eyes, quick and
brilliant as I had seen such flashes come and go a hundred
times. I knew what I saw.
It seems to me now in the retrospect, it seemed to me then, as
gathered up, held before me, and then dashed under my feet;
thrown down to the ground and trampled on. For a moment the
sight of my eyes failed me. I think nobody noticed it. I think
nothing was to be seen, except that I stood still for that
minute. It passed, and my sight returned; and as one whose
life is under foot and who knows it will never rise again, I
crossed the floor to Thorold. We were not alone. Eyes and ears
were all around us. Remembering this, I put my hand in his and
said a simple "How do you do?"