In a sheltered, sunny
nook, she found a single erythronium, lured forth in advance of its
proper season, and gathered it as a relic of the spot, which she
might keep without blame. As she stooped to pluck it, her own face
looked up at her out of a little pool filled by the spring rains.
Seen against the reflected sky, it shone with a soft radiance, and
the earnest eyes met hers, as if it were her young self, evoked
from the past, to bid her farewell. "Farewell!" she whispered,
taking leave at once, as she believed, of youth and the memory of
love.
During those years she had more than once been sought in marriage,
but had steadily, though kindly, refused. Once, when the suitor
was a man whose character and position made the union very
desirable in Eli Mitchenor's eyes, he ventured to use his paternal
influence. Asenath's gentle resistance was overborne by his
arbitrary force of will, and her protestations were of no avail.
"Father," she finally said, in the tone which he had once heard and
still remembered, `thee can take away, but thee cannot give.
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