IN THE FOREST OF ARDEN, 127 



out of sheer liking for a freer life. These persons 

 are not vulgar law-breakers ; they have neither 

 blood on their hands nor ill-gotten gains in their 

 pockets ; they are, on the contrary, people of un 

 commonly honest bearing and frank speech. Their 

 offenses evidently impose small burden on their 

 conscience, and they have the air of those who have 

 never known what it is to have the Furies on one s 

 track. Rosalind was struck with the charming 

 naturalness and gayety of every one we met in our 

 first ramble on that delicious and never-to-be-for 

 gotten morning when we arrived in Arden. There 

 was neither assumption or diffidence ; there was 

 rather an entire absence of any kind of self-con 

 sciousness. Rosalind had fancied that we might 

 be quite alone for a time, and we had expected to 

 have a few days to ourselves. We had even 

 planned in our romantic moments and there is 

 always a good deal of romance among the dwellers 

 in Arden a continuation of our wedding journey 

 during the first week. 



&quot; It will be so much more delightful than be 

 fore,&quot; suggested Rosalind, &quot; because nobody will 

 stare at us, and we shall have the whole world to 

 ourselves.&quot; In that last phrase I recognized the 

 ideal wedding journey, and was not at all dismayed 

 at the prospect of having no society but Rosalind s 

 for a time. But all such anticipations were dis 

 pelled in an hour. It was not that we met many 

 people it is one of the delights of the Forest that 



