Page:In Maremma, by Ouida (vol 3).djvu/99

 which she could almost hear the green earth growing, she would stretch out her arms in love of it all and gratitude, and cry out aloud to the sunlit solitude:

'I, too, am happy! I, too, live!'

Every pulse of life in her rejoiced with rejoicing nature. She envied no more the water birds sailing all day beside their nests; she no more wondered why the woodlark sang praise, praise, praise, and nothing but praise, to the Creator of all.

The joy of a strong nature is as cloudless as its suffering is desolate.

He loved her; at least he loved her enough to have that power over her which steals all the strength away from the woman it rules, and closes her eyes in a trance.

He loved her; and when she went out away from him into the golden air, all her life seemed to sing its joy within her; she could have laughed aloud and have danced with the fawns in the pastures.

Even he was startled at the change and radiance that came upon her beauty; her eyes seemed to have imprisoned the sunbeams in their depths; her lips seemed to have ever on them that sigh cf love which is happier than ail smiles; when he em-