小说园

第36部分（第5页）

things？　What　will　they　say　to　each　other？　What　will　they　say；　my

lambkin？　Theyll　forget；　wont　they；　theyll　forget　all　about

it；　out　of　their　silly　little　heads；　and　their　blue　caps。〃

After　a　moment；　she　turned　her　bright　face　to　her

husband。

〃They　were　really　fighting；　they　were　really　fierce

with　each　other！〃　she　said；　her　voice　keen　with　excitement　and

wonder；　as　if　she　belonged　to　the　birds　world；　were　identified

with　the　race　of　birds。

〃Ay；　theyll　fight；　will　blue…caps；〃　he　said；　glad　when　she

turned　to　him　with　her　glow　from　elsewhere。　He　came　and　stood

beside　her　and　looked　out　at　the　marks　on　the　snow　where　the

birds　had　scuffled；　and　at　the　yew　trees　burdened；　white　and

black　branches。　What　was　the　appeal　it　made　to　him；　what　was　the

question　of　her　bright　face；　what　was　the　challenge　he　was

called　to　answer？　He　did　not　know。　But　as　he　stood　there　he　felt

some　responsibility　which　made　him　glad；　but　uneasy；　as　if　he

must　put　out　his　own　light。　And　he　could　not　move　as　yet。

Anna　loved　the　child　very　much；　oh；　very　much。　Yet　still　she

was　not　quite　fulfilled。　She　had　a　slight　expectant　feeling；　as

of　a　door　half　opened。　Here　she　was；　safe　and　still　in

Cossethay。　But　she　felt　as　if　she　were　not　in　Cossethay　at　all。

She　was　straining　her　eyes　to　something　beyond。　And　from　her

Pisgah　mount；　which　she　had　attained；　what　could　she　see？　A

faint；　gleaming　horizon；　a　long　way　off；　and　a　rainbow　like　an

archway；　a　shadow…door　with　faintly　coloured　coping　above　it。

Must　she　be　moving　thither？

Something　she　had　not；　something　she　did　not　grasp；　could　not

arrive　at。　There　was　something　beyond　her。　But　why　must　she

start　on　the　journey？　She　stood　so　safely　on　the　Pisgah

mountain。

In　the　winter；　when　she　rose　with　the　sunrise；　and　out　of　the

back　windows　saw　the　east　flaming　yellow　and　orange　above　the

green；　glowing　grass；　while　the　great　pear　tree　in　between　stood

dark　and　magnificent　as　an　idol；　and　under　the　dark　pear　tree；

the　little　sheet　of　water　spread　smooth　in　burnished；　yellow

light；　she　said；　〃It　is　here〃。　And　when；　at　evening；　the　sunset

came　in　a　red　glare　through　the　big　opening　in　the　clouds；　she

said　again；