The Vintage: A Romance of the Greek War of IndependenceBenson, E. F. (Edward Frederic)
History
The Vintage: A Romance of the Greek War of Independence
Benson, E. F. (Edward Frederic)
Greece -- History -- War of Independence, 1821-1829 -- Fiction
They were rapidly approaching the wall, and in ten minutes more Mitsos
stood up and took in the sail. The speed slackened, and, standing at
the bows, he leaned forward, and, thrusting out with the pole, he
brought the boat alongside. Then, springing up again, with the rope
in his hand, he told Suleima to throw him up the end of the ladder.
This he held down with his foot on the far side of the wall while she
climbed up, pleasantly feeling the muscles of his leg strain as she
stepped onto the rope.
The ground on the inside was a foot or two below the top of the wall,
and, standing on the top a moment before stepping down, she suddenly
bent her head down to him, and, brushing back his curls with her hand,
kissed him lightly on the forehead.
"Good-night, little Mitsos," she whispered.
Then all in a flash her face flushed. "Mitsos," she said, quickly, and
with a curious shyness, "promise me you will never kiss Zuleika; she is
an old witch!" and without waiting for his reply she ran across to the
dark house.
Mitsos sat perfectly still, tingling and alert, and he felt the blood
throb and beat in his temples. He half started from his place to run
after her, and half raised his voice to call, but remembered in time
that he was close to the Turk's house. Something which let the two sit
together like children was dead, but something had taken its place, and
his heart sang to him.
He dropped down again into the boat, and for half an hour more he sat
there without stirring, hearing the ripples tap against the side, and
seeing them break in dim phosphorescent gleams of light. Then, with
wonder on his lips and a smile in his eyes, he went silently home
through the still night.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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