She looked up at the prince and away from him
in mute appeal to something that ought to help her and would not.
For Olivia was of those who, never having seen the face of Destiny
very near, are accustomed to look upon nothing as wholly
irrevocable; and--for one of her graces--she had the feminine
expectation that, if only events can be sufficiently postponed,
something will intervene; which is perhaps a heritage of the
gentlest women descended from Homeric days. If the island was so
historic, little Olivia may have said, where was the interfering
goddess? She looked unseeingly toward St. George and toward her
father, and the sense of the bitter actuality of the choice suddenly
wounded her, as the Actual for ever wounds the woman and the dream.
Then suddenly, above the stir of expectation of the people, and the
associate bustling of the High Council there came a vague confusion
and trampling from outside, and the far outer doors of the hall were
thrown open with a jar and a breath, vibrant as a murmur.
Pages:
410
411
412
413
414
415
416
417
418
419
420
421
422
423
424
425
426
427
428
429
430
431
432
433
434