Arms and the Woman eBook

Harold MacGrath
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 268 pages of information about Arms and the Woman.

Arms and the Woman eBook

Harold MacGrath
This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 268 pages of information about Arms and the Woman.

“Sing to me,” said I.

Then imagine my surprise—­I, who had heard nothing but German fall from her lips?—­when in a heavenly contralto she sang a chanson from “La Fille de Madame Angot,” an opera forgotten these ten years!

  “Elle est tellement innocente!

She had risen, and she stood there before me with a halo of moonshine above her head.  The hot blood rushed to my ears.  Barmaid, Socialist, or whatever she might be, she was lovable.  In a moment I was kissing her hand, the hand so small, so white, and yet so firm.  A thousand inarticulate words came to my lips—­from my heart!  Did the hand tremble?  I thought so.  But swiftly she drew it from my clasp, all the joy and gladness gone from her face and eyes.

“No, no!” she cried; “this must not be; it must not be!”

“But I——­” I began eagerly.

“You must not say it; I command you.  If you speak, Gretchen will be Gretchen no more.  Yes, the King seeks Gretchen; but will you drive her away from her only haven?” with a choking sound.

“Gretchen, trust me.  Shall I go to-morrow?  Shall I leave you in peace?” Somehow I believed myself to be in danger.  “Speak!”

There was an interval of stillness, broken only by the beating of hearts.  Then: 

“Stay.  But speak no word of love; it is not for such as I. Stay and be my friend, for I need one.  Cannot a woman look with favor upon a man but he must needs become her lover?  I shall trust you as I have trusted other men.  And though you fail me in the end, as others have done, still I shall trust you.  Herr, I conspire against the King.  For what?  The possession of my heart.  All my life I have stood alone, so alone.”

“I will be your friend, Gretchen; I will speak no word of love.  Will that suffice?”

“It is all I ask, dear friend.  And now will you leave me?”

“Leave you?” I cried.  “I thought you bade me stay?”

“Ah,” putting out her hand; “you men do not understand.  Sometimes a woman wishes to be alone when—­when she feels that she—­she cannot hold back her tears!”

Gravely I bent over her hand and kissed it.  It seemed to me as I let the hand fall that I had never kissed a woman on the lips.  I turned and went slowly down the path.  Once I looked back.  I saw something white lying at the foot of the tree.  Heaven knows what a struggle it was, but I went on.  I wanted to take her in my arms and tell her that I loved her.  When I reached the inn I turned again, but I saw nothing.  I sat in my room a long time that night, smoking my pipe till the candle gasped feebly and died in the stick, and the room was swallowed in darkness.

I did not know, I was not sure, but I thought that, so long as I might not love Phyllis, it would not be a very hard task to love her image, which was Gretchen.  You see, Phyllis was so very far away and Gretchen was so near!

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Project Gutenberg
Arms and the Woman from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.