Белая птичка
A Night-Piece
Theagenthadpromisedmetohavetheobnoxiousnotice-boardremoved,butIapprehendedthatassoonastheletterannouncinghisintentionreachedhershewouldremoveitherself,andwhenIpassedbyinthemorningthereshewasonachairandafoot-stoolpoundinglustilyatitwithahammer.Whenitfellshegaveitsuchaviciouslittlekick.
Therewerethenightswhenherhusbandcameouttowatchforthepostman.Isupposehewasawaitingsomeletterbigwiththefateofapicture.Hedoggedthepostmanfromdoortodoorlikeanassassinoraguardianangel;neverhadhethecouragetoaskiftherewasaletterforhim,butalmostasitfellintotheboxhehaditoutandtoreitopen,andthenifthedoorcloseddespairinglythewomanwhohadbeenatthewindowallthistimepressedherhandtoherheart.Butifthenewswasgoodtheymightemergepresentlyandstrutoffarminarminthedirectionoftheporkemporium.
Onelastpicture.OnsummereveningsIhadcaughtglimpsesofthemthroughtheopenwindow,whenshesatatthepianosingingandplayingtohim.Orwhilesheplayedwithonehand,sheflungouttheotherforhimtograsp.Shewassojoyouslyhappy,andshehadsucharomanticmind.Iconceivedhersosympatheticthatshealwayslaughedbeforehecametothejoke,andIamsureshehadfilmyeyesfromtheverystartofapatheticstory.
Andso,laughingandcrying,andhauntedbywhispers,thelittlenurserygovernesshadgraduallybecomeanotherwoman,glorified,mysterious.
