SON OF THE WIND
shadows grew dark beneath their feet; together, near, yet not near enough for touching, released from everything but each other, bound to each other and not knowing it. Their voices flowed together.
"And what did you think when you first saw me?"
"I thought you had a great opinion of yourself and had come up here for some important reason—perhaps to buy the place."
"And I thought you were two people, a child and a woman. I think so still, only you are many more persons yet. You were so funny, such a cool hand, and so sophisticated."
"O, me! I didn't feel so. I was quite in awe of you, even before I saw you, to hear mother talk."
"She didn't want me to stay?"
"Yes, she did, rather, really; but she felt as I did, you see, that wherever you were something was bound to happen."
"And now it has?"
She smiled, was silent.
"She didn't want it to?"
"She doesn't know you."
Carron had a thought that up to this time he had not known himself.
"She thinks, you know," Blanche explained, "that you and I are still only strangers."
224
