He
had ceased coming to the Ark to sing with the others. He had not played
on his violin since that first night when the string broke.
I heard that he had gone to New Bedford; and it was a day or two
afterwards that, coming out of the school-house after the meeting, I saw
him standing on the steps alone. I knew that an escort from among the
Wallencamp youths was close behind me. I hastened to put my hand on
Luther's arm.
"Will you walk home with me?" I said, looking up in his face and smiling.
I knew that the face lifted to his then was a beautiful one, that the
hand resting on his arm was small and daintily gloved, unlike the bare
coarse hands of the Wallencampers. I knew that my dress had an air and a
grace also foreign to Wallencamp, that a delicate perfume went up from my
garments, that my voice was more than usually winning. I experienced a
dangerous sense of satisfaction in the conquest of this unsophisticated
youth--a conquest not wholly without its retributive pain and
intoxication.
I felt the Cradlebow's arm tremble as we walked up the lane.
"I have a little private lecture to give you, Luther," I said. "Of course
you have been very much absorbed in your own affairs lately, but is that
an excuse for forsaking your old friends entirely? Especially if you are
going away.
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