I tell you that in the roar of the water I heard voices--the voices of
my father and mother calling me and speaking of you--and, Richard, they
seemed to be in great fear and pain, for a minute or more I heard them,
then a dreadful cold wind blew on me not this wind, it seemed to come from
above--and everything passed away, leaving my mind numb and empty so that
I do not remember how we came out of the river. Don't laugh at me,
Richard; it is so. The Kaffirs are right; I have some power of the sort.
Remember how I saw you travelling towards me in the pool."
"Why should I laugh at you, dearest?" he asked anxiously, for something of
this uncanny fear passed from her mind into his, with which it was in
tune. "Indeed, I don't laugh who know that you are not quite like other
women. But, Rachel, the strain of those two months has worn you out, and
now the reaction is too much. Perhaps it is nothing.".
"Perhaps," she answered sadly, "I hope so. Richard, what is the time?"
"About a quarter to six, to judge by the sun," he answered,
"Then we shall not be able to reach Ramah before dark."
"No, Rachel, but there is a good moon."
"Yes, there is a good moon; I wonder what it will show us," and she
shivered.
Then they pressed their horses to a canter and rode on, speaking little,
for the fount of words seemed to be frozen in them, although Richard
recollected, with a curious sense of wonder how he had looked forward to
this opportunity of long, unfettered talk with Rachel and how much he had
to tell her.
Pages:
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285