With the word, she turned, and truly, I thought the face peeping
out from its clustered curls even more lovely and bewitching than
before.
"I very much doubt if any man could," said I.
As we approached the house, I saw that the smooth gravel was much
cut up as though by the coming and going of many wheels and
horses, and also that one of the windows still shone with a
bright light, and it was towards this window that my companion
led me. In a while, having climbed the terrace steps, I noticed
that this was one of those French windows opening to the ground.
Now, looking through into the room beyond, I beheld an old man
who sat bowed down at a table, with his white head pillowed upon
his arms, sitting so very still that he might have been asleep
but for the fierce grip of his twitching hands. Now, upon the
table, at no great distance from him, between the guttering
candles, lay a hat--a very ill-used, battered-looking object
--which I thought I recognized; wherefore, looking about, I
presently espied its owner leaning against the mantel. He was
powdered with dust from head to foot, and his worn garments
looked more ragged than ever; and, as he stood there, in the
droop of his head and the listless set of his shoulders, there
was an air of the most utter dejection and hopelessness, while
upon his thin cheek I saw the glisten of a great, solitary tear.
But, as I looked, the window was burst suddenly open: "Perry!"
Love, surprise, joy, pity--all were summed up in that one short
word--yet deeper than all was love. And, at that cry, the white
head was raised, raised in time to see a vision of loveliness
caught up in two ragged arms.
"Father!"
And now the three heads--the white, the golden, and the black
--were drawn down together, drawn, and held close in an embrace
that was indeed reunion.
Then, seeing my presence was become wholly unnecessary, I turned
away, and was soon once more deep among the trees. Yet, as I
went, I suddenly heard voices that called upon my name, but I
kept on, and, in due season, came out upon the broad highway.
And, in a little, as I went, very full of thought, the sun rose
up. So I walked along through a world all glorious with morning.