H. Wells - Ann Veronica

her hands so that the red reflections vanished from her eyes.

"We settled long ago--we're hard stuff. We're hard stuff!"

Then she went on: "To think that is my father! Oh, my dear! He

stood over me like a cliff; the thought of him nearly turned me

aside from everything we have done. He was the social order; he

was law and wisdom. And they come here, and they look at our

furniture to see if it is good; and they are not glad, it does

not stir them, that at last, at last we can dare to have

children."

She dropped back into a crouching attitude and began to weep.

"Oh, my dear!" she cried, and suddenly flung herself, kneeling,

into her husband's arms.

"Do you remember the mountains? Do you remember how we loved one

another? How intensely we loved one another! Do you remember

the light on things and the glory of things? I'm greedy, I'm

greedy! I want children like the mountains and life like the

sky. Oh! and love--love! We've had so splendid a time, and

fought our fight and won. And it's like the petals falling from

a flower. Oh, I've loved love, dear! I've loved love and you,

and the glory of you; and the great time is over, and I have to

go carefully and bear children, and--take care of my hair--and

when I am done with that I shall be an old woman. The petals

have fallen --the red petals we loved so. We're hedged about

with discretions--and all this furniture--and successes! We are

successful at last! Successful! But the mountains, dear! We

won't forget the mountains, dear, ever. That shining slope of

snow, and how we talked of death! We might have died! Even when

we are old, when we are rich as we may be, we won't forget the

tune when we cared nothing for anything but the joy of one

another, when we risked everything for one another, when all the

wrappings and coverings seemed to have fallen from life and left

it light and fire. Stark and stark! Do you remember it all? . . .

Say you will never forget! That these common things and secondary

things sha'n't overwhelm us. These petals! I've been wanting

to cry all the evening, cry here on your shoulder for my petals.

Petals! . . . Silly woman! . . . I've never had these crying

fits before. . . ."

"Blood of my heart!" whispered Capes, holding her close to him.

"I know. I understand."