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137
The Solitary Summer
·
Elizabeth Von Arnim
49
"Did
you
come
in
to
say
that?"
I
asked.
"This
tempest
is
very
unusual
in
the
summer,"
he
proceeded;
to
which
I
made
no
reply
of
any
sort.
"I
did
not
see
you
at
first
amongst
all
these
chairs
and
cushions.
At
least,
I
saw
you,
but
it
is
so
dark
I
thought
you
were
a
cushion."
Now
no
woman
likes
to
be
taken
for
a
cushion,
so
I
rose
and
began
to
make
tea
with
an
icy
dignity
of
demeanour.
"I
am
afraid
I
shall
be
forced
to
break
my
promise
not
to
invite
any
one
here,"
he
said,
watching
my
face
as
he
spoke.
My
heart
gave
a
distinct
leap--so
small
is
the
constancy
and
fortitude
of
woman.
"But
it
will
only
be
for
one
night."
My
heart
sank
down
as
though
it
were
lead.
"And
I
have
just
received
a
telegram
that
it
will
be
to-night."
Up
went
my
heart
with
a
cheerful
bound.
"Who
is
it?"
I
inquired.
And
then
he
told
me
that
it
was
the
least
objectionable
of
the
candidates
for
the
living
here,
made
vacant
by
our
own
parson
having
been
appointed
superintendent,
the
highest
position
in
the
Lutheran
Church;
and
the
gale
must
have
brought
me
low
indeed
for
the
coming
of
a
solitary
parson
to
give
me
pleasure.
The
entire
race
of
Lutheran
parsons
is
unpleasing
to
me,--whether
owing
to
their
fault
or
to
mine,
it
would
ill
become
me
to
say,--and
the
one
we
are
losing
is
the
only
one
I
have
met
that
I
can
heartily
respect,
and
admire,
and
like.
But
he
is
quite
one
by
himself
in
his
extreme
godliness,
perfect
simplicity,
and
real
humility,
and
though
I
knew
it
was
unlikely
we
should
find
another
as
good,
and
I
despised
myself
for
the
eagerness
with
which
I
felt
I
was
looking
forward
to
seeing
a
new
face,
I
could
not
stop
myself
from
suddenly
feeling
cheerful.
Such
is
the
weakness
of
the
female
mind,
and
such
the
unexpected
consequences
of
two
months'
complete
solitude
with
forty-eight
hours'
gale
at
the
end
of
them.
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