Part 5 (2/2)

You dont _have_ to think! I was quite savage. Just go to sleepand let me! Another silence. Then a fresh downpour. The voice was pleading:

_Please_ let me go! Ill be back in a minute. And its not cold.

Oh, wellIm awake now, anyway. _Ill_ go. My voice was tinged with that high resignation that is worse than anger. Janets tone changed instantly:

No, no! Dont! Please dont! Im going. I truly dont mind.

_Im_ going. I dont mind, either, not at all.

Oh, dear! Then lets not either of us go.

That was my idea in the first place.

Well, then, we wont. Go to sleep, and I will too.

Not at all! Ive decided to go.

But its stopped raining. Probably it wont rain any more.

Then what are you making all this fuss for?

I didnt make a fuss. I just thought I could slip out

Well, you couldnt. And its raining very hard again. And Im going.

Oh, dont! Youll get drenched.

Of course. But I cant bear to have all that sap diluted.

It doesnt run at night. You said it didnt.

You said it did.

But I dont really know. You know best.

Why didnt you think of that sooner? Anyway, Im going.

Oh, dear! You make me feel as if Id stirred you up

You have, I interrupted, sweetly. I wont deny that you _have_ stirred me up. But now that you have mentioned itI felt for a matchnow that you have mentioned it, I see that this was the one thing needed to make my evening complete, or perhaps its morningI dont know.

We found the dining-room warm, and soon we were equipped in those curious compromises of vesture that people adopt under such circ.u.mstances, and, with lantern and umbrella, we fumbled our way out to the trees. The rain was driving in sheets, and we plodded up the road in the yellow circle of lantern-light wavering uncertainly over the puddles, while under our feet the mud gave and sucked.

Its diluted, sure enough, I said, as we emptied the pails. We crawled slowly back, with our heavy milk-can full of sap-and-rain-water, and went in.

The warm dining-room was pleasant to return to, and we sat down to cookies and milk, feeling almost cozy.

Ive always wanted to know how it would be to go out in the middle of the night this way, I remarked, and now I know.

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