"
He must carry everything. Farfadet and I willingly gave up
Volpatte's equipment; and Fouillade, now at the end of his strength,
agreed to surrender his pouches and his rifle.
Lamuse became a moving heap. Under the huge burden he disappeared,
bent double, and made progress only with shortened steps.
But we felt that he was still under the sway of a certain project,
and his glances went sideways. He was seeking the woman after whom
he had hurled himself. Every time he halted, the better to trim some
detail of the load, or puffingly to mop the greasy flow of
perspiration, he furtively surveyed all the corners of the horizon
and scrutinized the edges of the wood. He did not see her again.
I did see her again, and got a distinct impression this time that it
was one of us she was after. She half arose on our left from the
green shadows of the undergrowth. Steadying herself with one hand on
a branch, she leaned forward and revealed the night-dark eyes and
pale face, which showed--so brightly lighted was one whole side of
it--like a crescent moon.
I saw that she was smiling. And following the course of the look
that smiled, I saw Farfadet a little way behind us, and he was
smiling too. Then she slipped away into the dark foliage, carrying
the twin smile with her.
Thus was the understanding revealed to me between this lissom and
dainty gypsy, who was like no one at all, and Farfadet, conspicuous
among us all--slender, pliant and sensitive as lilac.
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