496 ASCH
Feigele feels a little annoyed with her. Does the girl think she is the object? And she presently pre- pares to rise, but remains, as though glued to the seat.
"A beautiful night, isn't it?"
"Yes, a beautiful evening."
And so the conversation gets into swing, with a ques- tion from him and an answer from her, on different subjects, first with fear and fluttering of the heart, then they get closer one to another, and become more confi- dential. When she goes home, he sees her to the door, they shake hands and say, "Till we meet again !"
And they meet a second and a third time, for young hearts attract each other like a magnet. At first, of course, it is accidental, they meet by chance in the company of two other people, a girl friend of hers and a chum of his, and then, little by little, they come to feel that they want to see each other alone, all to them- selves, and they fix upon a quiet time and place.
And they met. ,
They walked away together, outside the town, between the sky and the fields, walked and talked, and again, conscious that the talk was an artificial one, were even more gladly silent. Evening, and the last sunbeams were gliding over the ears of corn on both sides of the way. Then a breeze came along, and the ears swayed and whispered together, as the two passed on between them down the long road. Night was gathering, it grew continually darker, more melancholy, more delightful.
"I have been wanting to know you for a long time, Feigele."
"I know. You followed me like a shadow."
