I had the run of it--I loved it as though it were
alive; it was alive, for me. From Elizabeth's day down, all the family
adventurers brought their treasures here--beaten gold and hammered
silver--mother-of-pearl and peacock feathers, strange woods and stranger
spices, porcelains and embroideries and blown glass. There was always an
adventurer somewhere in each generation--and however far he wandered, he
came back to Green Gardens to bring his treasures home. When I was a
yellow-headed imp of Satan, hiding my marbles in the lacquer chest, I
used to swear that when I grew up I would bring home the finest treasure
of all, if I had to search the world from end to end. And now the last
adventurer has come home to Green Gardens--and he has searched the world
from end to end--and he is empty-handed."
"No, no," whispered Daphne. "He has brought home the greatest treasure
of all, that adventurer. He has brought home the beaten gold of his
love, and the hammered silver of his dreams--and he has brought them
from very far."
"He had brought greater treasures than those to you, lucky room," said
the last of the adventurers. "You can never be sad again--you will
always be gay and proud--because for just one moment he brought you the
gold of her hair and the silver of her voice.
Pages:
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372
373
374
375
376
377
378
379
380
381
382
383
384
385
386
387
388
389