Лето
II
Generallyatsuchtimesshedidnotthinkofanything,butlayimmersedinaninarticulatewell-being.Todaythesenseofwell-beingwasintensifiedbyherjoyatescapingfromthelibrary.Shelikedwellenoughtohaveafrienddropinandtalktoherwhenshewasonduty,butshehatedtobebotheredaboutbooks.Howcouldsherememberwheretheywere,whentheyweresoseldomaskedfor?OrmaFryoccasionallytookoutanovel,andherbrotherBenwasfondofwhathecalled“jography,”andofbooksrelatingtotradeandbookkeeping;butnooneelseaskedforanythingexcept,atintervals,“UncleTom’sCabin,”or“OpeningofaChestnutBurr,”orLongfellow.Shehadtheseunderherhand,andcouldhavefoundtheminthedark;butunexpecteddemandscamesorarelythattheyexasperatedherlikeaninjustice....
Shehadlikedtheyoungman’slooks,andhisshort-sightedeyes,andhisoddwayofspeaking,thatwasabruptyetsoft,justashishandsweresun-burntandsinewy,yetwithsmoothnailslikeawoman’s.Hishairwassunburnt-lookingtoo,orratherthecolourofbrackenafterfrost;hiseyesgrey,withtheappealinglookoftheshortsighted,hissmileshyyetconfident,asifheknewlotsofthingsshehadneverdreamedof,andyetwouldn’tfortheworldhavehadherfeelhissuperiority.Butshedidfeelit,andlikedthefeeling;foritwasnewtoher.Poorandignorantasshewas,andknewherselftobe—humblestofthehumbleeveninNorthDormer,wheretocomefromtheMountainwastheworstdisgrace—yetinhernarrowworldshehadalwaysruled.
