And
when she said: 'Yes,' he kissed her again and took her with him into the
free forest without once looking back at the dowry lying abandoned there
with all its gold and glitter. In his eyes only Mariora was of gold,
nothing else.
"The bear meanwhile made some little havoc in a mild sort of way, among
the honey-cakes, but he did no other damage.
"And I can assure your ladyship that this wife who has nothing in the
world but her husband, but that husband all her own--is even now very
happy."
CHAPTER X
THE BLACK JEWELRY
It was during this time that Henrietta cherished the bizarre illusion
that it was her vocation to cultivate the acquaintance of the honest but
homely peasantry living around, in whose lowly circles a widowed
protestant pastor's wife and a worn-out old miner were the principal
personages. Her husband laughed good-humouredly at her vagaries, as he
called them: "She is only a child," he cried, "let her play and cut out
dolls' clothes for those who want them! When she has grown up, she will
very soon look out for other diversions." "My dear child," he would
sometimes say to her, "do exactly as you like. I only beg of you one
thing: whenever you are tired of these innocent, well-meaning illusions
and return to rough, prosaic, brutal reality; whenever you feel yourself
deceived or wounded by those whom you may have implicitly trusted, pray
recollect that you have a natural protector, a real friend--your
husband!"
Thus it was that Hatszegi spoke to his child-wife on the rare occasions
when they met together.
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