登陆注册
5394500000010

第10章

"But you might get to see her at the edge of the Gin and Ginger Woods," he persisted feebly, in a last effort to detain her; "if you'll take a pasear there with me." Flip's only response was to walk on toward the cabin, whence, with a vague complimentary suggestion of "droppin' in to pass the time o' day" with her father, the Postmaster meekly followed.

The paternal Fairley, once convinced that his daughter's new companion required no pecuniary or material assistance from his hands, relaxed to the extent of entering into a querulous confidence with him, during which Flip took the opportunity of slipping away. As Fairley had that infelicitous tendency of most weak natures, to unconsciously exaggerate unimportant details in their talk, the Postmaster presently became convinced that the butcher was a constant and assiduous suitor of Flip's. The absurdity of his sending parcels and letters by post when he might bring them himself did not strike the official. On the contrary, he believed it to be a master stroke of cunning. Fired by jealousy and Flip's indifference, he "deemed it his duty"--using that facile form of cowardly offensiveness--to betray Flip.

Of which she was happily oblivious. Once away from the cabin, she plunged into the woods, with the parcel swung behind her like a knapsack. Leaving the trail, she presently struck off in a straight line through cover and underbrush with the unerring instinct of an animal, climbing hand over hand the steepest ascent, or fluttering like a bird from branch to branch down the deepest declivity. She soon reached that part of the trail where the susceptible Postmaster had seen the fascinating unknown. Assuring herself she was not followed, she crept through the thicket until she reached a little waterfall and basin that had served the fugitive Lance for a bath. The spot bore signs of later and more frequent occupancy, and when Flip carefully removed some bark and brushwood from a cavity in the rock and drew forth various folded garments, it was evident she had used it as a sylvan dressing-room.

Here she opened the parcel; it contained a small and delicate shawl of yellow China crepe. Flip instantly threw it over her shoulders and stepped hurriedly toward the edge of the wood. Then she began to pass backward and forward before the trunk of a tree. At first nothing was visible on the tree, but a closer inspection showed a large pane of ordinary window glass stuck in the fork of the branches. It was placed at such a cunning angle against the darkness of the forest opening that it made a soft and mysterious mirror, not unlike a Claude Lorraine glass, wherein not only the passing figure of the young girl was seen, but the dazzling green and gold of the hillside, and the far-off silhouetted crests of the Coast Range.

But this was evidently only a prelude to a severer rehearsal. When she returned to the waterfall she unearthed from her stores a large piece of yellow soap and some yards of rough cotton "sheeting."These she deposited beside the basin and again crept to the edge of the wood to assure herself that she was alone. Satisfied that no intruding foot had invaded that virgin bower, she returned to her bath and began to undress. A slight wind followed her, and seemed to whisper to the circumjacent trees. It appeared to waken her sister naiads and nymphs, who, joining their leafy fingers, softly drew around her a gently moving band of trembling lights and shadows, of flecked sprays and inextricably mingled branches, and involved her in a chaste sylvan obscurity, veiled alike from pursuing god or stumbling shepherd. Within these hallowed precincts was the musical ripple of laughter and falling water, and at times the glimpse of a lithe brier-caught limb, or a ray of sunlight trembling over bright flanks, or the white austere outline of a childish bosom.

When she drew again the leafy curtain, and once more stepped out of the wood, she was completely transformed. It was the figure that had appeared to the Postmaster; the slight, erect, graceful form of a young woman modishly attired. It was Flip, but Flip made taller by the lengthened skirt and clinging habiliments of fashion. Flip freckled, but, through the cunning of a relief of yellow color in her gown, her piquant brown-shot face and eyes brightened and intensified until she seemed like a spicy odor made visible. Icannot affirm that the judgment of Flip's mysterious modiste was infallible, or that the taste of Mr. Lance Harriott, her patron, was fastidious; enough that it was picturesque, and perhaps not more glaring and extravagant than the color in which Spring herself had once clothed the sere hillside where Flip was now seated. The phantom mirror in the tree fork caught and held her with the sky, the green leaves, the sunlight and all the graciousness of her surroundings, and the wind gently tossed her hair and the gay ribbons of her gypsy hat. Suddenly she started. Some remote sound in the trail below, inaudible to any ear less fine than hers, arrested her breathing. She rose swiftly and darted into cover.

Ten minutes passed. The sun was declining; the white fog was beginning to creep over the Coast Range. From the edge of the wood Cinderella appeared, disenchanted, and in her homespun garments.

The clock had struck--the spell was past. As she disappeared down the trail even the magic mirror, moved by the wind, slipped from the tree top to the ground, and became a piece of common glass.

同类推荐
  • 嘉祐杂志

    嘉祐杂志

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 玉清内书

    玉清内书

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 兰室秘藏

    兰室秘藏

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 龙凤再生缘

    龙凤再生缘

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • Love Eternal

    Love Eternal

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 闪婚蜜爱:总裁宠妻上瘾

    闪婚蜜爱:总裁宠妻上瘾

    前世被渣男贱女挖心而死,叶念一朝重生,只想痛快复仇。没想到,却遇到了他。他说:“谁欺负你,我欺负谁。你欺负谁,我帮着欺负谁。”从此,她杀人,他递刀,她放火,他浇油。直到有一天,她发现,他心里一直藏着一个人。她愤怒离开。他将她抓回,笑容邪肆:“你连自己的醋也吃?”兜兜转转,他爱的人,一直是她,从未变过。--情节虚构,请勿模仿
  • 物不迁正量证

    物不迁正量证

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 深渊之馆

    深渊之馆

    生是在向着死而行,死是否就是一个终点?或许,死依旧只是一个起点,一个更广阔的起点。秦烨在死后,被拘进了深渊之中,等待他的是一个个名为‘试练’的玩意,这究竟是为了什么?有人将其看作玩乐,有人将其视作重生,也有人在探寻着此中或许存在的深意。
  • 全世界都是NPC

    全世界都是NPC

    女生带着剑仙系统穿越到古代,成为当世唯一的仙人。她明明任性妄为,睚眦必报,杀人如割草,坑死人不赔命,撩完人就跑,却被天下人尊奉为艺术大师、神灵、救世主和圣人。新书《杀了那个男主》上传,欢迎大家收藏订阅。裙:799078951
  • 今生前世,我都恨你

    今生前世,我都恨你

    穿越,这个老掉牙的事居然发生在我身上,穿越就穿越,为什么要让我遇到同样的仇人,无论是现代还是古代,他还是那么的高高在上,但那又怎么样,无论是现代还是古代,我依旧不怕你,要命一条,反正我不在乎了。
  • 世界上最复杂的落水者

    世界上最复杂的落水者

    工作是嘉兴市中级法院的一名法官。已发表小说100万余字,散见于《小说选刊》、《中篇小说选刊》、《中国作家》、《江南》、《山花》、《百花洲》等期刊。
  • 逆天斩神

    逆天斩神

    仙与神将弱者视为蝼蚁!那我吴圣轩就要将神变为凡人眼中的蝼蚁!仙神又怎样,妖魔又如何,只要能看清这个世界,做一个自由洒脱的妖魔又有何不可,就算没有了灵脉,也要探寻出自己的炼体之道!就算逆了这天,反了这仙,灭了那魔,噬了那妖,也要夺回本就属于自己的东西!就算最后变成了一个魔,那也是万魔之中的一点清明,哪怕是最后被最好的兄弟背叛,也只是淡然一笑:给我个理由,能让我原谅你的理由!
  • 销售中的行为心理学:没有卖不掉,只有不会卖

    销售中的行为心理学:没有卖不掉,只有不会卖

    销售就是一场心理博弈战,如果你想成功地卖出产品,必须把握住客户的心脉,才能立于不败之地。成功的销售员一定是一个伟大的心理学家,他能成功打开客户的心门、消除他们的疑虑、卸下他们的心防;他能在洞察客户心理、了解客户喜好的基础上引导客户的消费行为,激发客户潜在的购买欲望;他能在遇到难缠的客户的时候,利用心理战术,抓住并操控客户心理,化解销售难题!本书结合心理学、消费学、营销学等多方面的知识,针对销售活动中的常见问题,对销售人员在销售过程中的不同阶段如何应对。
  • 第一女国师:凤逆九天

    第一女国师:凤逆九天

    【已完结,放心阅读】她是二十一世纪的金牌杀手,身份神秘。却在一场残忍的背叛中,意外穿越玄幻异世。一双潋滟的桃花眸缓缓睁开,从此在异世掀起腥风血浪。说她是废材?将她抛弃到风城?夺去她嫡女的身份?三种属性亮瞎你的钛金狗眼,不到半年的时间连升N级,到底谁是废材?绝代风华,绝世倾城。佳人为谁倾心?是情是师徒情还是另有他情?谁能抱得美人归?且看一代女国师如何揭开一层层谜团,以绝对的优势扳倒仇家,最后权势在手!
  • 地中海霸主之路

    地中海霸主之路

    一部保加利亚帝国的诞生史,一部巴尔干小国的奋斗史!主角穿越斐迪南一世,带领保加利亚崛起之路。一部合理推演文,不脑残!历史党必看,外国历史爱好者更是不容错过! 推荐新书《神圣罗马帝国》,幼苗需要呵护!欢迎加入地中海霸主之路书友群,群聊号码:688510445