Page:The House Without Windows.djvu/80

 away, in the dismay of realizing that she had come to an inhabited place It was all so beautifulshe had wanted to stay and exploreand her hopes were crushed!

She stood stock-still for a long time, looking at the cottage. Nothing stirred within, Everything was quietoh! so quiet. Stealthily as a mouse Eepersip crept toward it, opened the door, and went in. A house, a detested house!one of those houses that she had run away from. Everything came back to herthose foolish coverings on the floors which they called carpets, at the windows those useless decorations called curtains. To think of it! when there was a carpet so much lovelier of green grass or of white sandand no windows to be curtained!

It was a delightful little room, all the same; with a brownish woolly carpet, a small fireplace, and little blue curtains of a delicate material. It was quite deserted, so she decided not to let it bother her.

A small back door opened into the lovely woods at the back of the house. Quickly Eepersip made her way out into the open; and everything looked twice as lovely as before. How light it was, with all the world a window, instead of those silly little peep-holes fringed about! How much more