At first he saw nothing, though he could hear a horse moving about in
the loose-box in the corner. Then he saw a light shine beneath the crack
of the second door, beside the loose-box, that led into the farm-yard
proper; and the next instant the door opened, a man came in with a
lantern obviously just lighted, as the flame was not yet burned up, and
stopped with a half-frightened look on seeing Frank. But he said
nothing.
Frank himself was just on the point of giving an explanation when he,
too, stopped dead and stared. It seemed to him that he had been here
before, under exactly the same circumstances; he tried to remember what
happened next, but he could not....
For this was what he saw as the flame burned up more brightly.
The man who held the lantern and looked at him in silence with a
half-deprecating air was a middle-aged man, bearded and bare-headed. He
had thrown over his shoulders a piece of sacking, that hung from him
almost like a robe. The light that he carried threw heavy wavering
shadows about the stable, and Frank noticed the great head of a
cart-horse in the loose-box peering through the bars, as if to inquire
what the company wanted. Then, still without speaking, Frank let his
eyes rove round, and they stopped suddenly at the sight of yet one more
living being in the stable. Next to the loose-box was a stall, empty
except for one occupant; for there, sitting on a box with her back to
the manger and one arm flung along it to support her weight, was the
figure of a girl. Her head, wrapped in an old shawl, leaned back against
her arm, and a very white and weary face, absolutely motionless, looked
at him. She had great eyes, with shadows beneath, and her lips were half
opened. By her side lay a regular tramp's bundle.
Frank looked at her steadily a moment, then he looked back at the man,
who still had not moved or spoken. The draught from the door behind blew
in and shook the flame of his lantern, and the horse sighed long and
loud in the shadows behind. Once more Frank glanced at the girl; she had
lowered her arm from the manger and now sat looking at him, it seemed,
with a curious intentness and expectancy.
There was nothing to be said. Frank bowed a little, almost
apologetically, and went out.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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