Page:Pontoppidan - Emanuel, or Children of the Soil (1896).djvu/92

 "Yes, indeed," he answered, with an attempt to imitate her gay tone. "Besides which I am in a hurry!" As you see, I am dressed for a journey, for a pilgrimage. I am on the way to my Promised Land!"

"Your Promised Land? what do you mean?"

"Oh, I don't suppose I mean anything," he said, suddenly becoming grave again and looking down.

They walked on again a few minutes in silence.

She glanced at him a few times with her observant eyes. He walked by her side in his long coat, with both hands and his umbrella on his back, a little bent, and dragging slightly in his gait.

"What an ungrateful person you are!" she said, again trying to laugh! "I have half a mind to preach you an admonitory sermon. Haven't you noticed that both heaven and earth are smiling to you to-day, and that all the Lord's little birds are singing in emulation of each other above your head? And do you not see how I am extolling summer to-day! Or will nothing in the world bring a smile to your face now? I can tell you that I am on the high road to being a little offended with you. I am sure, for example, that you never noticed how I had decorated the luncheon table—entirely because you said one day that you thought much more of seeing a bunch of flowers on the table than