Eva's Sins.

XV

"In my heart, there is room only for a friend, and it was reserved for you, dear Miss Stonebridge."

  A few hours had already passed since Beth left Stonebridge's house and went in search of Eva, but till now she couldn't find any trace of where she could be.

  She only remembers the carriage with which Eva had left and that they took North through the forest road. Nothing more. She had no idea about where they were going or which was their final destination.

  Right after exiting the Immaje, Beth stood for a while and looked around. The nature in October seemed so alluring, even if it was loaded with too many raindrops and it was getting cold, even too cold for this end of the month, considering that it was only the middle of the fall.

  That dark-green-yellow, spread all over the field and through the branches of the trees, was splendid. Here and there, could be seen the black ground, devoid of the silky coat of grass as if an unknown painter had dropped an inkwell over the fresh painting of nature, enlivened by a bright green, an autumn green. And this splendor made Beth doubt her decision, for a few moments only, while her glance was caught by the surroundings.

  Awakened from her daydream, Beth saw in the distance, approaching her from the left, a merchant's cart. She stared at that unwelcome guest who had dared to disturb her loneliness and unwittingly her forehead furrowed, her eyes narrowed and her lips moved in a kind of bitter temblor as if she was a little puppy ready to attack the one who was trying to bother him. But soon she calmed down, took a deep breath and proud, turned her back at the cart, and went before it.

  The road was difficult because of the rain that poured all night long. The blades of grass were slippery and the wet earth was easily catching the foot, like in a moving trap, making those who were fighting to walk above it to be similar to a robot.

  But it didn't discourage Beth, who was convinced to find Miss Stonebridge at all costs.

  "Go on a long journey?" talked the merchant to Beth.

  "You can say so," simply answered Beth without looking at him.

"You can go with me if you want. I have room for one more. The road is slippery and walking on foot will take you a lot of days till you will reach the nearest village".

  It made sense what the merchant was saying. The next village was almost 4 km from there and walking on foot till there, on such a road, it would take you instead of 2 hours at least 5. She wasn't ready for such a road. Even if she lived in the countryside, she had not done physical work, at least not so much to be able to walk long distances, and she needs all the force she has for searching Miss Eva and not to waste it only on walking. So, Beth climbed in the merchant's cart, sitting on a small snag, that served as a chair.

  The merchant pulled the reins and the two grey horses moved away. He was a man about 60, with a grey beard and hair, wearing enough clothes to not feel the frost of a late fall. He had peasant shoes in his feet- coarse on the outside and not so pleasant to look at, but Beth could see that they were lined with sheep's fur on the inside, keeping the feet warm on long cold nights. On his head, he had a hat, also lined with fur, but this time Beth couldn't understand what kind of fur it was. She was wondering between being the fur of a fox or of a bunny, but soon she gave up to the idea of guessing and she looked around, at nature, because she considered it more interesting to watch it than at the skin of a dead animal.

  "Are you going to visit a dear person or is it just for business?" talked the merchant this time while she pulled the reins once again forcing the horses to take the road through the forest - the same road that took Albert's carriage when he and Miss Davis came after Eva to Immaje.