Дни грёз
Its Walls Were As Of Jasper
Butto-dayeverythingwasbiggerandfresherandclearer,thewallsseemednewlyhewn,gaycarpetswerehungoutoverthem,fairladiesandlong-hairedchildrenpeepedandcrowdedonthebattlements.Betterstill,theportculliswasup—Icouldevencatchaglimpseofthesunlitsquarewithin—andadaintycompanywastroopingthroughthegateonhorseback,twoandtwo.Theirhorses,intrappingsthatswepttheground,weregayasthemselves;andTHEYwerethegayestcrew,fordressandbearing,Ihadeveryetbeheld.Itcouldmeannothingelsebutawedding,Ithought,thisholidayattire,thisfestalandsolemnentry;and,weddingorwhateveritwas,Imeanttobethere.ThistimeIwouldnotbebalkedbyanygrimportcullis;thistimeIwouldslipinwiththerestofthecrowd,findoutjustwhatmylittletownwaslike,withinthoseexasperatingwallsthathadsolongconfrontedme,and,moreover,havemyshareofthefunthatwasevidentlygoingoninside.Confident,yetbreathlesswithexpectation,Iturnedthepage.
Joy!AtlastIwasinit,atlastIwasontherightsideofthoseprovokingwalls;and,needlesstosay,Ilookedaboutmewithmuchcuriosity.Apublicplace,clearly,thoughnotsuchasIwasusedto.Thehousesatthebackstoodonasortofcolonnade,beneathwhichthepeoplejostledandcrowded.Theupperstorieswereallpaintedwithwonderfulpictures.Abovethestraightlineoftheroofsthedeepblueofacloudlessskystretchedfromsidetoside.
