Between Snow and Fire — page 73: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

< .~ a 4 ™“- — “ MAdt, LA strange and startling product of some unknown state of _ existence.”’ '« Thank you,” retorted Eanswyth with alaugh. ‘“ That’s a little hard on me. AsI made the remark, of course [ am included in the grand majority which doesn’t think.” «TJ have a very great mind to treat that observation with the silence it deserves. It is a ridiculous observation. Isn't it?”’ : “ Perhaps it is,’ she acquiesced softly, in a tone that was half a sigh, not so much on account of the actual burden of the conversation, as an involuntary outburst of the dan- gerous, because too tender, undercurrent of her thoughts. And of those two walking there side by side in the radiant sunshine—outwardly so tranquilly, so peacefully, inwardly so lissfully—it was hard to say which was the most fully alive to the peril of the situation. Each was conscious of the mass of molten fires raging within the thin eggshell crust; each was rigidly on guard; the one with the feminine instinct of self-preservation superadded to the sense of rectitude of a strong character ; the other striving to rely Upon the necessity of caution and patience enjoined by a far-seeing and habitually self-contained nature. So far, both forces were evenly matched—so far both could play into each other’s hands, for mutual aid, mutual support against each other. Had there been aught of selfishness— of the mere unholy desire of possession—in this man’s love, things would have been otherwise. His cool brain and consummate judgment would have given himimmeasurably the advantage—in fact, the key of the whole situation. But it was not so. As we have said, that love was chival- rously pure—even noble—would have been rather elevating but for the circumstance that its indulgence meant the dis- counting of another man’s life. Thus they walked, side by side, in the soft and senstious sunshine. A shimmer of heat rose fromthe ground. Far away over the rolling plains a few cattle and horses, dotted (ECA ayiCel exeye) strange ideas you have got, Eustace. Now I _ wonder to how many people any such notion as that would have occurred.” + «Havel? Iam often told so, so I suppose I must have. But the grand majority of people never think themselves, consequently when they happen upon anybody who does they gaze upon him with unmitigated astonishment as a cS a 7 ee £ “ ¢ ‘ — wy ~aie = —_ “4 pw : -_:,~ 9 ; . as 7 Y : 7 4 “i P f — ? , 4 . ’ re ‘ ea J { Ss. ‘