And after I had struck flint and steel vainly, perhaps a dozen
times, Charmian took the box from me, and, igniting the tinder,
held it for me while I lighted my tobacco.
"Thank you!" said I, as she returned the box, and then I saw that
she was smiling. "Talking of Charmian Brown--" I began.
"But we are not."
"Then suppose you begin?"
"Do you really wish to hear about that--humble person?"
"Very much!"
"Then you must know, in the first place, that she is old, sir,
dreadfully old!"
"But," said I, "she really cannot be more than twenty-three--or
four at the most."
"She is just twenty-one!" returned Charmian, rather hastily, I
thought.
"Quite a child!"
"No, indeed--it is experience that ages one--and by experience
she is quite--two hundred!"
"The wonder is that she still lives."
"Indeed it is!" "And, being of such a ripe age, it is probable
that she, at any rate, has--been in love."
"Scores of times!"
"Oh!" said I, puffing very hard at my pipe "Or fancied so," said Charmian. "That," I replied, "that is a
very different thing!"
"Do you think so?"
"Well--isn't it?"
"Perhaps."
"Very well, then, continue, I beg."
"Now, this woman," Charmian went on, beginning to curl the tress
of hair again, "hating the world about her with its shams, its
hypocrisy, and cruelty, ran away from it all, one day, with a
villain."
"And why with a villain?"
"Because he was a villain!"
"That," said I, turning to look at her, "that I do not
understand!"
"No, I didn't suppose you would," she answered.
"Hum!" said I, rubbing my chin. "And why did you run away from
him?"
"Because he was a villain."
"That was very illogical!" said I.
"But very sensible, sir."
Here there fell a silence between us, and, as we walked, now and
then her gown would brush my knee, or her shoulder touch mine,
for the path was very narrow.
"And--did you--" I began suddenly, and stopped.
"Did I--what, sir?"
"Did you love him?" said I, staring straight in front of me.
"I--ran away from him."
"And--do you--love him?"
"I suppose," said Charmian, speaking very slowly, "I suppose you
cannot understand a woman hating and loving a man, admiring and
despising him, both at the same time?"