Man-woman relationships -- Fiction; Marriage -- Fiction
Far away and out of sight, deep-toned and mellow, came the lowing
of cattle and the staccato barking of a dog, driving the herd to the
milking. One by one live things of the country-side commenced to wake
and stir. Rabbits hopped out among the cowslips and nibbled at the turf.
Birds, like children put to bed and frightened of being left, called
“Good-night. Good-night. Good-night,” over and over. From watch-towers
of tall trees mother-birds answered, “Good-night. Good-night.
Good-night.” The world had become maternal. The spirit of life's
brevity, of parting, of remembrance, of regret, of happiness withheld
was in the air. The golden woman felt her loneliness. Looking at the
children, so defiant in their sureness of one another, she recalled her
lost opportunities.
An arm stole about her. A brown hand covered hers. She leant back her
head so that it lay against the Faun Man's jacket. So many things seemed
worth the seeking in this world--so few worth the keeping when found.
For the moment she liked to fancy that her search was at an end.
Peter spoke. “If you please, I think we must be going. I've got to get
Kay back, you know. Even now, I'll have to light the lamps.”
“But--but we haven't seen Harry.”
A light woke in the golden woman's eyes. She was about to speak; the
Faun Man pressed his hand against her mouth. “You can see him to-morrow,
little girl, if Peter will bring you.”
“But where is he?”
The Faun Man swept the horizon. “Somewhere over there. He's gone away
into the wood with Canute, because we hurt his feelings.”
“But what's he doing?” Kay insisted.
The Faun Man looked at the golden woman; his eyes asked, “Shall we
tell?” They turned back to Kay. “What's he doing? Sitting with his head
in his hands. Crying, perhaps---- Do boys cry, Peter? He doesn't like
his brother and this little woman to be together. The poor old chap
doesn't think we do each other any good.”
“And do we?” The golden woman spoke softly.
The Faun Man became very solemn. His voice was husky. “We don't. But we
could.”
She twisted round in his embrace so that she met him breast to breast.
“Ah, there's the voice of every tragedy! We don't. But we could---- And
we know we could; and yet we don't.”
Down the garden, over the plank-bridge, across the meadow, through the
Haunted Wood they went together: the boy and girl, like lovers with arms
encircling; the man and woman, like brother and sister, holding hands,
brushing shoulders, and following. As they entered into Friday Lane, Kay
looked back. At the foot of a big oak Canute was lying, his nose between
his fore-paws, his eyes red-rimmed with vigilance.
She tugged on Peter's arm. “Why he must be up there. Oh, do let's be
nice to him. Just one minute. Let's.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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