I stole noiselessly up
behind her, and she did not hear me. The window was full of artificial
flowers, of the cheapest sort, but of very gay colors. Here and there a
knot of ribbon or a bit of lace had been tastefully added, and the whole
effect was really remarkably gay and pretty. Tap, tap, tap, went the small
hand against the window-pane; and with every tap the unconscious little
creature murmured, in a half-whispering, half-singing voice, "I choose
_that_ color." "I choose _that_ color." "I choose _that_ color."
I stood motionless. I could not see her face; but there was in her whole
attitude and tone the heartiest content and delight. I moved a little to
the right, hoping to see her face, without her seeing me; but the slight
movement caught her ear, and in a second she had sprung aside and turned
toward me. The spell was broken. She was no longer the queen of an
air-castle, decking herself in all the rainbow hues which pleased her eye.
She was a poor beggar child, out in the rain, and a little frightened at
the approach of a stranger.
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