"Creature?" said I, and so sat staring at the table, and the
walls, and the floor, and the rafters in a blank amazement.
But in a while, my amazement growing, I went and stood in the
doorway, looking at Charmian, but saying nothing.
And, as I watched, she began to sing softly to herself, and,
putting up her hand, drew the comb from her hair so that it fell
down, rippling about her neck and shoulders. And, singing softly
thus, she shook her hair about her, so that I saw it curled far
below her waist; stooped her head, and, parting it upon her neck,
drew it over either shoulder, whence it flowed far down over her
bosom in two glorious waves, for the moon, peeping through the
rift in the leaves above, sent down her beams to wake small fires
in it, that came and went, and winked with her breathing.
"Charmian, you have glorious hair!" said I, speaking on the
impulse--a thing I rarely do.
But Charmian only combed her tresses, and went on singing to
herself.
"Charmian," said I again, "what did you mean when you called me
a--creature?"
Charmian went on singing.
"You called me a 'pedant' once before; to be told that I am
superior, also, is most disquieting. I fear my manner must be
very unfortunate to afford you such an opinion of me."
Charmian went on singing.
"Naturally I am much perturbed, and doubly anxious to know what
you wish me to understand by the epithet 'creature'?"
Charmian went on singing. Wherefore, seeing she did not intend
to answer me, I presently re-entered the cottage.
Now it is ever my custom, when at all troubled or put out in any
way, to seek consolation in my books, hence, I now took up my
Homer, and, trimming the candles, sat down at the table.
In a little while Charmian came in, still humming the air of her
song, and not troubling even to glance in my direction.
Some days before, at her request, I had brought her linen and
lace and ribands from Cranbrook, and these she now took out,
together with needle and cotton, and, sitting down at the
opposite side of the table, began to sew.
She was still humming, and this of itself distracted my mind from
the lines before me; moreover, my eye was fascinated by the gleam
of her flying needle, and I began to debate within myself what
she was making. It (whatever it might be) was ruffled, and edged
with lace, and caught here and there with little bows of blue
riband, and, from these, and divers other evidences, I had
concluded it to be a garment of some sort, and was casting about
in my mind to account for these bows of riband, when, glancing up
suddenly, she caught my eye; whereupon, for no reason in the
world, I felt suddenly guilty, to hide which I began to search
through my pockets for my pipe.