A JOURNEY TO NATURE 



denly in the last gleam. Charlie was there. I 

 saw her bend down, put her arm about him, and 

 kiss him. Then she melted out like a vision into 

 the dull vista. 



I leaned against one of the tree trunks, staring 

 in the direction she had taken. As I recall the 

 state of mind in which she had left me, it seems 

 to me that it was chiefly that of acutely sharpened 

 faculties. I heard a cricket chirping somewhere, 

 and wondered if he kept it up all winter. I 

 counted some of the tree trunks mechanically, 

 and noticed how unchangeable they were. A 

 heavy, musky scent came up from the meadow. 

 I thought it was unnecessarily odorous. I looked 

 about me to discover some evidences of change. 

 But everything was obdurately unmoved, and a 

 star glimmered through the branches with cold 

 indifference. 



Charlie and the yellow dog were approaching 

 with noisy ignorance of any disturbance of the 

 natural order. I started forward sullenly, saying 

 to myself, &quot; Here the Nature cure breaks down. 

 What a farce it all is ! Life is an endless series 

 of metamorphoses, and those men were right who 

 got all there was out of it while it lasted.&quot; 



&quot;What did you scold Griselle for?&quot; asked 

 Charlie. 



&quot; I didn t scold her, Comrade.&quot; 



&quot; Well, she was crying, and she acted as if she 

 was sorry.&quot; 



&quot; Sorry,&quot; I repeated, taking him by the hand, 

 &quot; Perhaps she is.&quot; 



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