Page:Son of the wind.djvu/119

RV 107 Later, hurrying down the outside stair with the thought of helping her at this task for which her back looked too slender, he found himself alone in a dead sea of ticking. The windows of the scholar's study were open, and through them he heard the sound of a hummed song, and saw her figure moving to and fro. Later yet, on his way through the hall, he glimpsed her in a room, sweeping vigorously, the center of a haze of dust which the new sun transformed to a golden vapor.

"You haven't forgotten, have you?" he asked looking in the door.

She formed "No," with her mouth through the thick, bright, floating atmosphere. She had this to do first, she explained, and advised him that breakfast was on table. She came into the dining-room herself presently, stayed long enough to drink some coffee and find the scholar's pipe for him, then was away. Carron heard the rattling of tins in the kitchen as if the preliminaries of dish-washing were hers. With verve and incredible despatch she seemed to be crowding her responsibilities for the day into an hour and a half, and only for the sake of a morning at liberty among the hills.

He saddled the two horses, putting the side-saddle on the chestnut, and brought them around to the steps of the old wing. He hoped to find Blanche