She spoke at last, in a little whispering voice—
“I’ve found it,” said Laura. “It’s here. It was here all the time. And Mother——”
She counted the easy ridges that seemed so clear and near, traced, with a finger that quivered, the merry white road playing bo-peep in and out of the woods.
“They’re the Delectable Mountains,” said Laura. “Of course, the Delectable Mountains and the Cœlestial City. And I can get there by tea-time. If I run—if I don’t stop once—oh, Mother, I can get to you by tea-time.”
CHAPTER V
Though its anticipation and memory can fill a lifetime, the actual emotion must inevitably measure its intensity by its brevity. Ecstasy and despair, those hill-tops of human experience, can offer, in the nature of things, no abiding place for a pilgrim’s feet.
With the return of the mere capacity for thought, Laura declined rapidly from her timeless bliss into a mood of active, bustling pleasure. A thousand devices and anticipations flitted through her mind as, in feverish excitement, she mapped out the day.
She would start at once, as soon as she had satisfied Nurse by appearing for milk and biscuits.... She and the twins were accustomed to wander, within limits, as they pleased.... She would be over the hill and away by the time Nurse was repacking the perambulator, and when she was missed, who would guess where she had gone?... At least, she was not so sure of that.... It was very strange that Nurse and Aunt Adela had never said a word about heaven being so close to Brackenhurst.... It looked as if they were afraid of her finding out ... as if they didn’t want her to see Mother.... She clenched her fist. If they tried to stop her now!... They had better not try, that was all! But she would not give them a chance.... She would not let them guess that she knew anything.... She, too, could pretend ignorance, even if she had to tell a story over it.... Mother couldn’t bear you to tell stories—but this was different.... She would explain it all to Mother, and of course Mother would understand.... Oh, the blessedness of being back with Mother who always understood!
She was so absorbed in her meditations that the nursemaid could approach unheard.