FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149  
150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   >>  
n. (Getting up) Well, I must be moving on. _We_ have been companions for a short time; I thank you for it. I wish you well. GERVASE (getting up). I say, I've been awfully glad to meet you. And I shall never forget the breakfast you gave me. SUSAN. It is friendly of you to say so. GERVASE (hesitatingly). You won't mind my having another one when Ernest comes back--I mean, if Ernest comes back? You won't think I'm slighting yours in any way? But after an outdoor bathe, you know, one does---- SUSAN. Please! I am happy to think you have such an appetite. GERVASE (holding out his hand). Well, good-bye, Mr. Susan, (SUSAN looks at his hand doubtfully, and GERVASE says with a laugh) Oh, come on! SUSAN (shaking it). Good-bye, Mr. Mallory. GERVASE. And I shan't forget what you said. SUSAN (smiling). I expect you will, Mr. Mallory. Good-bye. [He goes off. GERVASE (calling after him). Because it wasn't the moonlight, it wasn't really. It was just _Her_. (To himself) It was just _Her_. . . . I suppose the great Whatsisname would say, "It was just She," but then, that isn't what I mean. (GERVASE watches him going down the hill. Then he turns to the other side, says, "Hallo!" suddenly in great astonishment, and withdraws a few steps.) GERVASE. It can't be! (He goes cautiously forward and looks again) It is! (He comes back, and walks gently off through the trees.) (MELISANDE comes in. She has no hat; her hair is in two plaits to her waist; she is wearing a dress which might belong to any century. She stands in the middle of the glade, looks round it, holds out her hands to it for a moment, and then clasps them with a sigh of happiness. . . .) (GERVASE, his cloak thrown away, comes in behind her. For a moment he is half-hidden by the trees.) GERVASE (very softly). Princess! (She hears but thinks she is still dreaming. She smiles a little.) GERVASE (a little more loudly). Princess! (She listens and nods to herself, GERVASE steps out into the open.) GERVASE. Princess! (She turns round.) MELISANDE (looking at him wonderingly). You! GERVASE. At your service, Princess. MELISANDE. It was you who came last night. GERVASE. I was at your father's court last night. I saw you. You looked at me. MELISANDE. I thought it was only a dream when I looked at you. I thought it was a dream when you called me just now. Is it still a dream? GERVASE. If it is a dream, let us go on dreaming.
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149  
150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163   164   >>  



Top keywords:

GERVASE

 

Princess

 

MELISANDE

 

dreaming

 

moment

 

Mallory

 

forget

 

looked

 
thought
 

Ernest


gently

 

called

 
belong
 
century
 

middle

 

stands

 

plaits

 

wearing

 

hidden

 

softly


smiles
 

listens

 

loudly

 
forward
 

thinks

 

clasps

 

father

 

happiness

 

wonderingly

 

service


thrown

 

moonlight

 

friendly

 
hesitatingly
 

slighting

 
Please
 

outdoor

 
breakfast
 
companions
 

moving


Getting
 

watches

 
suppose
 

Whatsisname

 

withdraws

 

astonishment

 

suddenly

 

doubtfully

 
appetite
 

holding