She could not see
clearly now and touched things with her fingers to find out what
they were. Suddenly in the twilight she caught sight of a bed of
strawberries, and all that was childish in her awoke.
"Strawberries! Strawberries! There are some here; I can feel them. A
plate, Zoe! Come and pick strawberries."
And dropping her sunshade, Nana crouched down in the mire under the full
force of the downpour. With drenched hands she began gathering the fruit
among the leaves. But Zoe in the meantime brought no plate, and when the
young woman rose to her feet again she was frightened. She thought she
had seen a shadow close to her.
"It's some beast!" she screamed.
But she stood rooted to the path in utter amazement. It was a man, and
she recognized him.
"Gracious me, it's Baby! What ARE you doing there, baby?"
"'Gad, I've come--that's all!" replied Georges.
Her head swam.
"You knew I'd come through the gardener telling you? Oh, that poor
child! Why, he's soaking!"
"Oh, I'll explain that to you! The rain caught me on my way here, and
then, as I didn't wish to go upstream as far as Gumieres, I crossed the
Choue and fell into a blessed hole."
Nana forgot the strawberries forthwith.
Pages:
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283