Page 125 - The snake's pass

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CONFIDENCES. — 113
by a sense of the ludicrous ; for as I thought of the detail
of the doing it, I seemed to see myself when trying to
reduce my abstract longing to a concrete effort, meeting
only jeers and laughter from both men and women—in
my seemingly asinine effort to make inquiries regarding
a person whose name even I did not know, and for what
purpose I could assign no sensible reason.
I verily believe I must have counted the leaves of grass
on portions of that mountain. Unfortunately, hunger
or thirst did not assail me, for they would have afforded
some diversion to my thoughts. I sturdily stuck to my
resolution not to ascend to the top until after three
o'clock, and I gave myself much kudos for the stern
manner in which I adhered to my resolve.
My satisfaction at so bravely adhering to my resolu-
tion, in spite of so much mental torment and temptation,
may be imagined when, at the expiration of the appointed
time, on ascending to the hill-top, I saw my beautiful
friend sitting on the edge of the plateau and heard her
first remark after our mutual salutations :
" I have been here nearly two hours, and am just
going home ! I have been wondering and wondering
what on earth you were working at all over the hill-
"
side ! May I ask, are you a botanist ?
u No !
"
" Or a geologist ?
" No "
!
"
" Or a naturalist ?
u No J II