Part 45 (2/2)
”I'd be glad to ride him, if you don't object, Mr. Enslee.”
Enslee stared at Forbes, saw nothing ulterior in his eyes, and yielded with a bad grace.
”Oh, all right. Go ahead. Only don't sue me for damages if you get pitched under an auto.”
”I won't,” Forbes laughed, elated beyond belief by the unimaginable luck of riding at Persis' stirrup for miles and miles.
And so they mounted. Persis' horse was humbled beyond struggle; but Enslee's big black had lately tossed his rider over his head. He tested the seat of his new visitor. Forbes was a West-Pointer, a cavalryman, and the horse had not made more than one pirouette before he understood that he was bestridden by one whom it was best to obey.
Willie tried at first to keep the motor back with the horses, but Persis ordered him to go about his business, and turned off the hard track to a soft road.
And now at last they were free, Forbes and Persis, cantering along a plushy road, a lovers' lane that mounted up and up till they paused at the height to give the horses breath.
Back of them the Hudson spread its august flood between mountainous walls. Before them the road dipped into the deep forest seas of Sleepy Hollow.
CHAPTER x.x.xVI
”Is it possible that we're actually alone?” Forbes gloated, turning in his saddle to take her in in her brisk, youthful beauty.
”I shouldn't exactly call it alone up here on the mantelpiece of the world in broad daylight,” Persis smiled. ”But it's nice, isn't it?”
”Wonderful, to be riding with you!”
”I'm immensely happy,” she said. ”Even the horses know the difference.
This morning they hated each other. They wouldn't trot in rhythm or alongside, and they fought like snapping-turtles. Now look at them nuzzle and flirt. Ouch! that's my game knee you're colliding with. It would be better if I rode side-saddle. There were advantages in old-fas.h.i.+oned ways. You ride splendidly, don't you?”
”Do I?” he said. ”As you told me the first time I met you, I'm glad you like me.”
”I more than that, now.”
”More than like me?”
”Umm-humm!”
”Love me?”
”Umm-humm!”
”If I could only brush away all of these houses and people and take you in my arms! If this were only a Sahara or Mojave!”
”I doubt if there's a desert where n.o.body is peeking. They used to tell me that G.o.d was looking when no one else was.”
”Well, He would understand.”
”Maybe He would see too much. But the human beings don't understand. And they're everywhere. Oh, Lord, I'm so sick of other people's eyes and ears. All my life I've had them on me--servants', nurses', maids', waiters', grooms', footmen's! Sometimes I think I'd love to live on a desert island. Couldn't you buy me a desert island somewhere--a thoroughly equipped desert island with hot and cold water and automatic cooking?”
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