Sylvia's Lovers - Page 111/290

Molly Brunton began to say something, and he gladly turned to look

at her. She was asking him why he went away so early, for they had

kept it up for four hours after he left, and last of all, she added

(turning to Kinraid), her cousin Charley had danced a hornpipe among

the platters on the ground.

Philip hardly knew what he said in reply, the mention of that pas

seul lifted such a weight off his heart. He could smile now, after

his grave fashion, and would have shaken hands again with Kinraid

had it been required; for it seemed to him that no one, caring ever

so little in the way that he did for Sylvia, could have borne four

mortal hours of a company where she had been, and was not; least of

all could have danced a hornpipe, either from gaiety of heart, or

even out of complaisance. He felt as if the yearning after the

absent one would have been a weight to his legs, as well as to his

spirit; and he imagined that all men were like himself.