But one day in Paimpol, hearing that /La Marie/ had just got in, Gaudfelt possessed with a kind of fever. All her quiet composuredisappeared; she abruptly finished up her work, without quite knowingwhy, and set off home sooner than usual.
Upon the road, as she hurried on, she recognised /him/, at somedistance off, coming towards her. She trembled and felt her strengthgiving way. He was now quite close, only about twenty steps off, hishead erect and his hair curling out from beneath his fisher's cap. Shewas so taken by surprise at this meeting, that she was afraid shemight fall, and then he would understand all; she would die of veryshame at it. She thought, too, she was not looking well, but weariedby the hurried work. She would have done anything to be hidden awayunder the reeds or in one of the ferret-holes.
He also had taken a backward step, as if to turn in another direction.
But it was too late now. Both met in the narrow path. Not to touchher, he drew up against the bank, with a side swerve like a skittishhorse, looking at her in a wild, stealthy way.
She, too, for one half second looked up, and in spite of herselfmutely implored him, with an agonized prayer. In that involuntarymeeting of their eyes, swift as the firing of a gun, these gray pupilsof hers had appeared to dilate and light up with some grand noblethought, which flashed forth in a blue flame, while the blood rushedcrimson even to her temples beneath her golden tresses.
As he touched his cap he faltered. "Wish you good-day, MademoiselleGaud.""Good-day, Monsieur Yann," she answered.
That was all. He passed on. She went on her way, still quivering, butfeeling, as he disappeared, that her blood was slowly circulatingagain and her strength returning.
At home, she found Granny Moan crouching in a corner with her headheld between her hands, sobbing with her childish "he, he!" her hairdishevelled and falling from beneath her cap like thin skeins of grayhemp.
"Oh, my kind Gaud! I've just met young Gaos down by Plouherzel as Icame back from my wood-gathering; we spoke of our poor lad, of course.
They arrived this morning from Iceland, and in the afternoon he cameover to see me while I was out. Poor lad, he had tears in his eyes,too. He came right up to my door, my kind Gaud, to carry my littlefagot."She listened, standing, while her heart seemed almost to break; sothis visit of Yann's, upon which she had so much relied for saying somany things, was already over, and would doubtless not occur again. Itwas all done. Her poor heart seemed more lonely than ever. Her miseryharder, and the world more empty; and she hung her head with a wilddesire to die.
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