"Sometimes, when they grow careless. Mr. Forster sprained his wrist the
other day with a back-fire, which he ought to have avoided, and I heard
of a horrible accident in Paris, when a chauffeur started his car with
the clutch in gear, with the consequence that it dashed over a bridge
into the Seine, and the occupants--a lady and two little children--were
drowned before his eyes. There's no need to be nervous if you take
proper care, but cars are not playthings to be trifled with."
They had reached a part of the country which Miss Beach had known as a
child. She had not visited it since, and was interested to see again
spots which had once been familiar.
"I remember the river perfectly," she said. "And that hill, with the
wood where we used to get blackberries in the autumn. I wonder if the
wild daffodils still grow in Chipden Marsh! It's fifty years since I
gathered them! Shall we go and see? They ought just to be out now, and
it's really not late yet."
Winona was only too delighted to prolong the day's outing, and would not
have demurred if Aunt Harriet had proposed returning home by moonlight.
She caught eagerly at the suggestion of finding daffodils. Though
half-a-century had sped by Miss Beach remembered the way, and drove
through many by-lanes to a tract of low-lying pasture land that bordered
the river. She had not forgotten the stile, which still remained as of
yore, so leaving the car in the road they walked down the fields. At
first they were disappointed, but further on, beside the river, the
Marsh might well have been called "Daffodil Meadow." Everywhere the
lovely little wild Lent lilies were showing their golden trumpets in
such profusion among the grass that the scene resembled Botticelli's
famous picture of spring. Miss Beach said little, but her eyes shone
with reminiscences. Winona was in ecstasies, and ran about picking till
her bunch was almost too big to hold. The slanting afternoon sunlight
fell on the water with a glinting, glistening sheen; the sallows
overhanging the banks were yellow with pollen, the young pushing arum
shoots and river herbs wore their tender early spring hue; the scene was
an idyll in green and gold. They were loath to leave, but time was
passing, so, very reluctantly, they walked up the fields again to rejoin
the car. They had stowed their daffodils in the lunch basket, and Winona
was peeping over the hedge to take a last look at the river, when an
exclamation behind her made her turn round. Miss Beach was leaning
heavily against the car, her face was ashen gray, her lips were white
and drawn. She looked ready to faint. Winona flew to her in a panic.
"What is it, Aunt Harriet? Are you ill? Get into the car and sit down.
Let me help you!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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