Page 53 - Adventures in shadow-land

The Beginning of the Search* 49

when the cloud had passed over the face of the full

moon, and which had mocked at her from above

the soft mossy bed when it had been turned
into the stony wall which had forced them to go
for war d> and she thought they forbade her to go

near them. But Aster, in spite of all her efforts
to detain him in the path, would sometimes run

away from her, saying he saw some beautiful
flower which he must gather, or else some sweet

child-face which smiled upon him; but each time
that he did this, he was sure to hasten back to

Eva, saying that either thorns had pierccd or else
nettles slung him; and then he would hide his

face in the folds of Eva’s white dress, trembling*
aad saying that t h e y were there, and had fright­

ened him.
Still, Eva could never find out from the Iroy

who t h e y were, i ’or Aster, though he some­
times tried, could not tell her; it seemed as if he

was not allowed to speak, and the child began to
think that the faces which haunted her, and t h e y

of whom Aster so often spoke, were only different
manifestations of the same power, which seemed

to follow them wherever they went, seeking an