, as though it were welcome relief
to escape from the glare of day, they pushed on into the forest's
depths. And when they had nothing but cool green leaves about them, when
no glimpse of the sunlit expanse was afforded by any gap in the
foliage, they looked at each other and smiled, with a feeling of vague
uneasiness.

'How nice it is here!' murmured Serge.

Albine simply nodded her head. A choking sensation in her throat
prevented her from speaking. Their arms were not passed as usual round
each other's waist, but swung loosely by their sides. They walked along
without touching each other, and with their heads inclined towards the
ground.

But Serge suddenly stopped short on seeing tears trickle down Albine's
cheeks and mingle with the smile that played around her lips.

'What is the matter with you?' he exclaimed; 'are you in pain? Have you
hurt yourself?'

'No, don't you see I'm smiling? I don't know how it is, but the scent of
all these trees forces tears into my eyes.' She glanced at him, and then
resumed: 'Why, you're crying too! You see you can't help it.'

'Yes,' he murmured, 'all this deep shade affects one. It seems so
peaceful, so mournful here that one feels a little sad. But you must
tell me, you know, if anything makes you really unhappy. I have not done
anything to annoy you, have I? you are not vexed with me?'

She assured him that she was not. She was quite happy, she said.

'Then why are you not enjoying yourself more? Shall we have a race?'

'Oh! no, we can't race,' she said, disdainfully, with a pout. And
when he went on to suggest other amusements, such as bird-nesting or
gathering strawberries or violets, she replied a little impatiently: 'We
are too big for that sort of thing. It is childish to be always playing.
Doesn't it please you better to walk on quietly by my side?'

She stepped along so prettily, that it was, indeed, a pleasure to hear
the pit-pat of her little boots on the hard soil of the path. Never
before had he paid attention to the rhythmic motion of her figure, the
sweep of her skirts that followed her with serpentine motion. It was
happiness never to be exhausted, to see her thus walking sedately by
his side, for he was ever discovering some new charm in the lissom
suppleness of her limbs.

'You are right,' he said, 'this is really the best. I would walk by your
side to the end of the world, if you wished it.'

A little further on, however, he asked her if she were n