Page:Magdalen by J S Machar.pdf/134

 looking almost out of sorts. The directress arranged a “Blind man’s buff,” the blind man’s part falling to Jiří. He was blind-folded and the circle dispersed with loud laughter, but Jiří, with eager eyes, had none the less time to notice the direction which the slender blonde had taken. He ran after her through the thick grass. She stood still she did not move  he was already near her  yet she did not move  he stretched out his hand  she quickly slapped it hard, and ran away

Then Lucy withdrew with slow step,—something drove her away from that strange merriment. She looked around her. She was standing in the midst of a pine wood. The white dresses of the picnickers flashed by behind her. She increased her steps, and hurried on: the strong odor of the balsam was soothing to her, and she inhaled it with a deep breath. At the same time she wiped the thin threads of cobwebs from her face and looked around her once more