With a half smile at herself Eugenia sat down. She was not deceived, for she understood perfectly why she had wished to come back to this neighborhood and why today she had wanted to walk alone into these woods.
But there could be no wrong in what she was doing, since no one would ever guess her reason.
Eugenia was sincerely pleased over Barbara's and Dick's happiness. But she would never confess herself so completely surprised as Barbara demanded that she be. She merely announced that if one of the girls felt compelled to marry (and she supposed they could not all hope to escape the temptation of their nursing experiences in Europe), at least she was grateful that Barbara had chosen to bestow her affection upon an American. Personally, she felt convinced that no foreign marriage could be a success.
Yet here sat Eugenia in an extremely sentimental attitude with the light snow falling about her. More than this, she was in an equally sentimental state of mind. But then nothing of this kind matters when one chances to be entirely alone. Dreams are one's own possession.
Then the girl heard a sound that entirely accorded with her train of thought.
It was a slow velvet-like tread moving in her direction.
In another moment Duke had approached and laid his great head in her lap. He did not move again; there was no foolish wagging of his tail. These expressions of emotion were meant for lesser beasts; Duke revealed his joy and his affection in a beautiful, almost a thrilling silence.
Eugenia had not seen her old friend since her arrival at the farmhouse a few days before. For some reason he had not called there with François and she had not been outside the house until today. Their trip had been a long and tiring one and she was more exhausted than she had expected to be.
But this was a far more satisfactory reunion and Eugenia was sincerely moved.
She put her own thin cheek down on Duke's silver head and remained as still as he was. Truly he had not forgotten!