Presently the hand was adroitly withdrawn, Mother Anastasia rose, and I
was left alone, sitting in the shadow of the tree.
XXXVII.
THE PERFORMANCE OF MY UNDER-STUDY.
On the next day, when Walkirk came back, I received him coolly. To be
sure, the time of his return was now of slight importance, but my manner
showed him that on general principles I blamed his delay.
I did not care to hear his explanations, but proceeded at once to state
the misfortunes which had befallen me. I told him in detail all that had
happened since I left the floating grocery. I did not feel that it was
at all necessary to do this, but there was a certain pleasure in talking
of my mishaps and sorrows; I was so dreadfully tired of thinking of
them.
As I told Walkirk of my interview with Mother Anastasia on the Maple
Ridge road, he laughed aloud. He instantly checked himself and begged my
pardon, but assured me that never had he heard of a man doing anything
so entirely out of the common as to make an appointment with a Mother
Superior to meet him under a tree. At first I resented his laugh, but I
could not help seeing for myself that the situation, as he presented it,
was certainly an odd one, and that a man with his mind free to ordinary
emotions might be excused for being amused at it.
Pages:
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265