After nearly a week of rain and dull, gray skies, the weather was again entrancing. The warm, soporific breeze which played through the house lulled Grandther Donner off to sleep, as he sat in his chair, staring at vacancy and rubbing his thumb across the ends of his fingers.
Garde, responding to the mood of coming summer, could not resist the impulse to go out into the garden, which to her would always be associated with her childish meeting with Adam Rust, and which therefore now made of her yearning to see him a positive force.
Thus it doubtless appeared to her as an answer to her longing when she felt a presence and glanced up at the gate, to see him standing there, as he had so many years before, with two of the pickets clasped in his big, strong hands.
Her heart gave a leap that almost hurt, so suddenly did it send the ecstasy bounding through her veins. Yet so sublimated was the look on Adam’s face, as, with parted lips and visible color rising and falling in his face, he gazed at her, steadfastly, and as one entranced, that she went toward him as slowly as if walking might disturb the spell.
One of her hands, like a homing dove, came up to press on her bosom above her heart. She was pale, for the cares of those weeks had bleached the rose-tints from her cheeks. Nevertheless, the moment painted them with vestal flames of love’s own lamp, as she looked into Adam’s eyes and saw the tender passion abiding there.
“Adam, I prithee come in,” she said, in a soft murmur, unconsciously repeating what she had said when first he had leaned upon this gate.
As one approaching something sacred, Adam came in and took her two hands in his. He raised them slowly to his lips, and then pressed them together against his breast.
“Garde,” he said, almost whispering. “Garde. My little Garde.”
“Oh, Adam,” she answered.
They looked at one another and smiled, she through shining tears. Then they laughed, for there were no words, there was nothing which could absolutely express their overflowing joy, but their laughing, which was wholly spontaneous, came the nearest.