"The sentiment is a little bloody, George," said I, glancing at this
stretch of dark wood, "but under the circumstances, I think it does
you credit. And now, seeing I have a full hour to wait for Mr.
Vere-Manville, I will take a little stroll and waste no more of your
time;" and smiling down his protestations to the contrary, I sauntered
off through the golden afternoon.
To-morrow the term of my patient waiting was to be accomplished; Diana
was coming back to me! At this thought there rushed over me such an
eager, passionate joy that my breath caught and I paused to lean
across a gate, endeavouring to picture her to myself as she now was,
'a changed Diana and yet the same', even as she had written. And as I
stood thus, down to me through the sunny air came the song of a
mounting lark who, as if knowing my thought, seemed striving to sing
forth something of the ineffable happiness that thrilled me. The song
ended, I went on again, walking slowly, my head bowed, lost in a happy
dream. And presently I found myself walking amid trees, through an
ever-deepening shadow, and, looking up, saw I had entered the pine
wood. For a moment I hesitated, minded to turn back into the sunshine,
then I went on, picking my way among these gloomy trees, the pine
needles soft beneath my tread; thus, since there was no wind, I walked
in silence broken only by the faint jingle of my spurs and the rustle
of my advance, a silence that affected me with a vague unease.
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