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Bates, Arlo, 1850-1918

"The Puritans"

The open air was refreshing;
and a great sense of joyousness filled him to overflowing. When again
he took his seat in the car he could have laughed from simple pleasure.
The chat of the latter part of the journey was more easy and
unconstrained than at the beginning. It was not clear to Wynne what the
change was, but he was aware that he was somehow talking less self-
consciously than before. They spoke of one thing and another, and it
teased the young man somewhat that when now and then his companion
mentioned a book he had seldom seen it. The things which he had read of
late years he knew without asking that she would not have seen. Even
the names of current writers of fiction were hardly known to him, and
an allusion to what they had written was beyond him. In spite of a word
which now and again brought out the difference between his world and
hers, however, Maurice thoroughly enjoyed the talk. Now and then he
would reflect in a sort of sub-consciousness that the delight of this
hour was to be dearly paid for with penance and repentance, but this
provoked in him rather the determination at least to enjoy it to the
full while it lasted, than any inclination to deny himself the present
gratification.


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