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272 |
LILITH |
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The pitiful-hearted Little Ones began to sob sorely.
' Will you hurt her very much, lady Mara ?' said the girl I have just mentioned, putting her warm little hand in mine.
' Yes ; I am afraid I must; I fear she will make me ! ' answered Mara. 'It would be cruel to hurt her too little. It would have all to be done again, only worse.'
' May I stop with her ? '
'No, my child. She loves no one, therefore she cannot be with any one. There is One who will be with her, but she will not be with Him.'
' Will the shadow that came down the hill be with her?'
' The great Shadow will be in her, I fear, but he cannot be with her, or with any one. She will know I am beside her, but that will not comfort her.'
' Will you scratch her very deep ? ' asked Odu, going near, and putting his hand in hers. ' Please, don't make the red juice come !'
She caught him up, turned her back to the rest of us, drew the muffling down from her face, and held him at arms' length that he might see her.
As if his face had been a mirror, I saw in it what he saw. For one moment he stared, his little mouth open ; then a divine wonder arose in his countenance, and swiftly changed to intense delight. For a minute he gazed entranced, then she set him down. Yet a moment he stood looking up at her, lost in contemplation—then ran to us with the face of a prophet that knows a bliss he cannot tell. Mara rearranged her mufflings, and turned to the other children.
' You must eat and drink before you go to sleep,' she said ; ' you have had a long journey!' |
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