human
Donelle! she said presently,
gpt
Only that I—I have come, Mamsey.
human
Tell me everything.
gpt
Why, Mamsey, there isn’t much to tell—except—that I’m here.
human
How did you get here?
gpt
I—I walked. I walked all night.
human
And Mrs. Lindsay, she knows?
gpt
Oh! no, Mamsey, she was away, but I left a note. I had to come Mamsey, I had to. You see, brightly, piteously,
human
I—I couldn’t play my fiddle. It would not be played. When I got to thinking of how it would be out where I was going, I just couldn’t! The pretty dresses and the—the excitement made me forget for a little time, but all of a sudden I saw how it was going to be. Then I tried to play, and I couldn’t! Then I knew that I must stay, because more than anything, Mamsey, I wanted—you!
gpt
This is sheer nonsense!
human
You mad child! Why, Donelle, don’t you see you are running away from your life?
gpt
It will have to find me here, then, Mamsey. Don’t send me away. I would hate it as I would have hated St. Michael’s if you had sent me back there. You see, Mamsey, when I run away I always run to what is really mine. Don’t you see?
human
Are you sick, child?
gpt
No, but I would have been, off there! And I couldn’t play. What good would anything have been, if I couldn’t play?
human
Can you play here?
gpt
Why, Mamsey, let me try!