Ходячий замок
Chapter 2
ButI’msurelyduetohaveathirdencounter,magicalornot.Infact,Iinsistonone.Iwonderwhatitwillbe.”
ThethirdencountercametowardstheendoftheafternoonwhenSophiehadworkedherwayquitehighintothehills.Acountrymancamewhistlingdownthelanetowardher.Ashepherd,Sophiethought,goinghomeafterseeingtohissheep.Hewasawell-set-upyoungfellowoffortyorso.“Gracious!”Sophiesaidtoherself.“ThismorningI’dhaveseenhimasanoldman.Howone’spointofviewdoesalter!”
WhentheshepherdsawSophiemumblingtoherself,hemovedrathercarefullyovertotheothersideofthelaneandcalledoutwithgreatheartiness,“Goodeveningtoyou,Mother!Whereareyouoffto?”
“Mother?”saidSophie.“I’mnotyourmother,youngman!”
“Amannerofspeaking,”theshepherdsaid,edgingalongagainsttheoppositehedge.“Iwasonlymeaningapoliteinquiry,seeingyouwalkintothehillsattheendoftheday.Youwon’tgetdownintoUpperFoldingbeforenightfall,willyou?”
Sophiehadnotconsideredthis.Shestoodintheroadandthoughtaboutit.“Itdoesn’tmatterreally,”shesaid,halftoherself.“Youcan’tbefussywhenyou’reofftoseekyourfortune.”
“Can’tyouindeed,Mother?”saidtheshepherd.HehadnowedgedhimselfdownhillofSophieandseemedtofeelbetterforit.“ThenIwishyougoodluck,Mother,providedyourfortunedon’thavenothingtodowithcharmingfolks’cattle.”Andhetookoffdowntheroadingreatstrides,almostrunning,butnotquite.
Sophiestaredafterhimindignantly.
