Simply he stood and looked, and looked, as
though, by infinite perseverance, the very horizon itself might
recede, and the thing for which he sought become revealed . . . .
Aynesworth turned away at last, and there, not many yards behind,
apparently watching them, stood the child. He waved his hand and
advanced towards her. Her eyes were fixed upon Wingrave half
fearfully.
"I am afraid of the other gentleman," she whispered, as he reached her
side. "Will you come a little way with me? I will show you a seagull's
nest."
They left Wingrave where he was, and went hand in hand, along the
cliff side. She was a curious mixture or shyness and courage. She
talked very little, but she gripped her companion's fingers tightly.
"I can show you," she said, "where the seagulls build, and I can tell
you the very spot in the sea where the sun goes down night after
night.
"There are some baby seagulls in one of the nests, but I daren't go
very near for the mother bird is so strong. Father used to say that
when they have their baby birds to look after, they are as fierce as
eagles."
"Your father used to walk with you here, Juliet?" Aynesworth asked.
"Always till the last few months when he got weaker and weaker," she
answered. "Since then I come every day alone."
"Don't you find it lonely?" he asked.
She shook her head.
"At first," she answered, "not now. It makes me unhappy. Would you
like to go down on the beach and look for shells? I can find you some
very pretty ones.
Pages:
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81