Seite:Marsh Hallig 1856.djvu/167

167

THE DISAPPOINTMENT.

whether he intended to infer her sentiments from her
own words. He thought he was reading in her very soul,
as he was making use of her own language which had so
often delighted him, as a confirmation of his highest
hopes. But she — whether entirely without suspicion
that it was contrary to his meaning we will not decide —
chose to consider the words as the language of his own
heart, and without precisely saying as much, she answered,
  "Our mutual affection will make any place on earth
a pleasant home to us — to me as well as to you." The
decided emphasis placed on the words "as well as to
you," struck his heart as if with a painful blow ; a deep
red mounted to his cheek, and with a question on his
lips, he fixed a long and earnest look on Idalia. But
the words remained unspoken, as if in fearful anticipa-
tion of the wounding reply they might receive. She
bore this inquiring gaze with a smile, and a slight
touch of his lips with her finger, completely checked
the question. But Oswald was not disposed to let this
conversation drop so suddenly.
  "That sounds like a pastoral," said he gayly, "and
certainly I should have nothing to say against it — al-
though I am no Myrtillus myself, and never sued to any
Daphne — if it were any other place than a hallig, which
would scarcely he habitable for a pair of loving seals."
  Mander, who, till now, had listened to the conversa-
tion as mere pleasantry, reminded his son that they had
no occasion to speak contemptuously of this island to
which, by the help of God, through Godber's courage
and skill, they owed their lives, and where peace, vainly
sought by thousands in great cities, seemed to dwell with
all its inhabitants from the cradle to the grave.