chair stopped as if by magic and the door was closed. Not till then did
he take them away and look round and round and round as Dickon and Mary
had done. And over walls and earth and trees and swinging sprays and
tendrils the fair green veil of tender little leaves had crept, and in
the grass under the trees and the gray urns in the alcoves and here and
there everywhere were touches or splashes of gold and purple and white
and the trees were showing pink and snow above his head and there were
fluttering of wings and faint sweet pipes and humming and scents and
scents. And the sun fell warm upon his face like a hand with a lovely
touch. And in wonder Mary and Dickon stood and stared at him. He looked
so strange and different because a pink glow of color had actually
crept all over him ivory face and neck and hands and all.
I shall get well! I shall get well! he cried out. Mary! Dickon! I
shall get well! And I shall live forever and ever and ever!
CHAPTER XXI.
BEN WEATHERSTAFF
One of the strange things about living in the world is that it is only
now and then one is quite sure one is going to live forever and ever
and ever. One knows it sometimes when one gets up at the tender solemn
dawn-time and goes out and stands alone and throws one s head far back
and looks up and up and watches the pale sky slowly changing and
flushing and marvelous unknown things happening until the East almost
makes one cry out and one s heart stands still at the strange
unchanging majesty of the rising of the sun which has been happening
every morning for thousands and thousands and thousands of years. One
knows it then for a moment or so. And one knows it sometimes when one
stands by oneself in a wood at sunset and the mysterious deep gold
stillness slanting through and under the branches seems to be saying
slowly again and again something one cannot quite hear, however much
one tries. Then sometimes the immense quiet of the dark blue at night
with millions of stars waiting and watching makes one sure; and
sometimes a sound of far-off music makes it true; and sometimes a look
in someone s eyes.
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