I can't help thinking the prince was not
so much to blame, though."
"You see what came of it--misery."
"Perhaps he would rather have had the misery and all together than
none of it."
"That's for him to settle. But he must have seen he was wrong, before
he had done wandering by the sea like that."
"Well now, Turkey, what would you have done yourself, suppose the
beautifulest of them all had laid her comb down within an inch of
where you were standing--and never saw you, you know?"
Turkey thought for a moment before answering.
"I'm supposing you fell in love with her at first sight, you know," I
added.
"Well, I'm sure I should not have kept the comb, even if I had taken
it just to get a chance of speaking to her. And I can't help fancying
if he had behaved like a gentleman, and let her go without touching
her the first time, she might have come again; and if he had married
her at last of her own free will, she would not have run away from
him, let the sea have kept calling her ever so much."
[Illustration]
The next evening, I looked for Elsie as usual, but did not see her.
How blank and dull the schoolroom seemed! Still she might arrive any
moment. But she did not come. I went through my duties wearily, hoping
ever for the hour of release. I could see well enough that Turkey was
anxious too. The moment school was over, we hurried away, almost
without a word, to the cottage.
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