"I don't believe you! I don't believe you ever had cause for one!" She
laid a hand again upon mine.
I covered it fiercely and sunk my brow upon it. And thereupon the wave
of folly drew back, and on the bared sands of recollection I saw, like
drowned things, my mother's face, and Gholson's and the General's, and
Major Harper's, and Ned Ferry's, and Camille's. Each in turn brought its
separate and peculiar pang; and among those that came a second time and
with a crueler pang than before was Camille's.
"You're tired!" murmured the voice beside me, and the wave rolled in
again. I lifted my brow and moved one hand from hers to make room on it
for my lips, but her fingers slipped away and alighted compassionately
on my neck. "You must be one ache from head to foot!" she whispered.
I turned upon her choking with anger, but her melting beauty rendered me
helpless. Black woods were on our left. "Shall we turn in here?"
I asked.
"Yes." She stooped low under the interlacing boughs and plunged with me
into the double darkness.