Part 14 (1/2)

”'Little one, I have a request to make to you. Will you come out for a ride with me?'

”'What an honour,' replied I.

”'No, you must not begin again like that,' said he, laughing, though annoyed. 'We will try for once to be good comrades just for half an hour. Agreed?'

”His cordiality pleased me. I gave him my hand upon it.

”As we rode out of the courtyard gate Martha stood at the kitchen window and waved to us with her white ap.r.o.n.

”'See here, Martha,' I thought in my mind, 'this is how I would ride out into the wide world with him if I were his paramour.'

”For my ideas as to what a 'paramour' is were as yet very vague, and I did not hesitate to ascribe this dignity to Martha.

”'He rides well.' I went on thinking; 'my prince could not do better.'

”And then I caught myself throwing myself back proudly and joyously in my saddle, swayed by an undefined sense of well-being that made all my nerves tingle.

”He said nothing, only now and again turned towards me and nodded at me smilingly, as if he thought well to secure our compact anew every five minutes. It was needless trouble, for nothing was further from my thoughts than to break it.

”When we had ridden for half an hour at a sharp trot he pulled up his chestnut and said:

”'Well, little one?'

”'What is your pleasure, big one?'

”'Shall we turn back?'

”'Oh, no.'

”I was absolutely not willed to give up so quickly what filled me with such intense satisfaction.

”'Well, then, to the Illowo woods,' said he, pointing to the bluish wall which bordered the distant horizon.

”I nodded and gave my horse the whip, so that it reared up high and plunged along in wild bounds.

”'Very creditable for a young lady of fifteen.' I heard his voice behind me.

”'Sixteen, if you please!' cried I, half turning round towards him. 'By the bye, if you again reproach me with my youth, there's an end to our good fellows.h.i.+p.'

”'Heaven forbid!' he laughed, and then we rode on in silence.

”The wood of Illowo is intersected by a small rivulet, whose steep banks are so close together that the alder branches from either side intertwine and form a high-vaulted, green dome over the surface of the water, terminating at each bend in a dense wall of foliage, behind which it builds itself up anew. Down there, close to the water's edge, I had known, since my childhood, many a secluded nook, where I had often sat for hours, reading or dreaming to myself, while my horse peacefully grazed up in the wood.

”As we now rode slowly along between the trees, a desire seized me to show him one of my sanctuaries.

”'I want to dismount,' I called out to him; 'help me out of my saddle.'

”He jumped off his horse and did as I had bid.

”'What do you intend to do?' he then asked.