with Paula to-morrow perhaps--think of that!
I had quite given up all hope of managing it at all; but now, just
now--is it not odd--just within these two minutes I suddenly said to
myself: 'It will come all right!'--So it must be done somehow."
A flood of tears streamed down Mary's burning cheeks but, freely as they
flowed, she did not sob and her bosom did not heave. Nor did she speak,
but such pure and fervent gratitude and joy shone from her glistening
eyes that Orion felt his own grow moist. He was glad to find some way
of concealing his emotion when Mary seized his hand and, pressing a long
kiss on it, wetted it with her tears.
"See!" he exclaimed. "All wet! as if I had just taken it out of the
fountain."
But he said no more, for the bedroom door was suddenly thrown open and
Eudoxia's high, thin voice was heard saying:
"But why make any fuss? Mary will be enchanted! Here, Child, here is
your long-lost friend! Such a surprise!" And the water-wagtail, pushed
forward by no gentle hand, appeared within the doorway. Eudoxia was as
radiant as though she had achieved some heroic deed; but she drew back
a little when she found that Orion was still in the room. The divided
couple stood face to face. What was done could not be undone; but,
though he greeted her with only a calm bow, and she fluttered her fan
with abrupt little jerks to conceal her embarrassment, nothing took
place which could surprise the bystander; indeed, Katharina's pretty
features assumed a defiant expression when he enquired how the little
white dog was, and she coldly replied that she had had him chained up in
the poultry-yard, for that the patriarch, who was their guest, could not
endure dogs.
"He honors a good many men with the same sentiments," replied Orion, but
Katharina retorted, readily enough.
"When they deserve it."
The dialogue went on in this key for some few minutes; but the young man
was not in the humor either to take the young girl's pert stings or
to repay her in the same coin; he rose to go but, before he could take
leave, Katharina, observing from the window how low the sun was, cried:
"Mercy on me! how late it is--I must be off; I must not be absent at
supper time. My boat is lying close to yours in the fishing-cove. I only
hope the gate of the treasurer's house is still open."
Orion, too, looked at the sun and then remarked: "To-day is Sanutius."
"I know," said Katharina. "That is why Anubis was free at noon."
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