Book Two The Woman - Chapter 34 In Which I Find Peace and Joy and an Abiding Sorrow

I hurried on, looking neither to right nor left, seeing only the
face of Charmian, now fearful and appealing, now blazing with
scorn. And coming to the brook, I sat down, and thought upon her
marvellous beauty, of the firm roundness of the arms that my
fingers had so lately pressed. Anon I started up again, and
plunged, knee-deep, through the brook, and strode on and on,
bursting my way through bramble and briar, heedless of their
petty stings, till at last I was clear of them, being now among
trees. And here, where the shadow was deepest, I came upon a
lurking figure--a figure I recognized--a figure there was no
mistaking, and which I should have known in a thousand.

A shortish, broad-shouldered man, clad in a blue coat, who stood
with his back towards me, looking down into the Hollow, in the
attitude of one who waits--for what? for whom?

He was cut off from me by a solitary bush, a bramble, that seemed
to have strayed from its kind and lost itself, and, running upon
my toes, I cleared this bush at a bound, and, before the fellow
had realized my presence, I had pinned him by the collar.

"Damn you!--show your face!" I cried, and swung him round so
fiercely that he staggered, and his hat fell off.

Then, as I saw, I clasped my head between my hands, and fell
back--staring.