Епоха невинності

           Buthecouldthinkofnoargumentsthatwouldmoveher,andwithasenseofreliefhesawMr.WellandandMaydrivinguptothedoor.HisonlyhopewastopleadagainwithMay,andonthedaybeforehisdeparturehewalkedwithhertotheruinousgardenoftheSpanishMission.ThebackgroundlentitselftoallusionstoEuropeanscenes;andMay,whowaslookingherloveliestunderawide-brimmedhatthatcastashadowofmysteryoverhertoo-cleareyes,kindledintoeagernessashespokeofGranadaandtheAlhambra."Wemightbeseeingitallthisspring—eventheEasterceremoniesatSeville,"heurged,exaggeratinghisdemandsinthehopeofalargerconcession."EasterinSeville?AnditwillbeLentnextweek!"shelaughed."Whyshouldn’twebemarriedinLent?"herejoined;butshelookedsoshockedthathesawhismistake."OfcourseIdidn’tmeanthat,dearest;butsoonafterEaster—sothatwecouldsailattheendofApril.IknowIcouldarrangeitattheoffice."Shesmileddreamilyuponthepossibility;butheperceivedthattodreamofitsufficedher.Itwaslikehearinghimreadaloudoutofhispoetrybooksthebeautifulthingsthatcouldnotpossiblyhappeninreallife."Oh,dogoon,Newland;Idoloveyourdescriptions.""Butwhyshouldtheybeonlydescriptions?Whyshouldn’twemakethemreal?""Weshall,dearest,ofcourse;nextyear."Hervoicelingeredoverit."Don’tyouwantthemtoberealsooner?Can’tIpersuadeyoutobreakawaynow?"Shebowedherhead,vanishingfromhimunderherconnivinghat-brim.