How
long was "at first"? She did not know. She stood--and stood--and
stood--and looked at every creature who entered the gate. She did
not see any one who looked in the least like Donal or his Mother or
Nanny. There were nurses and governesses and children and a loitering
lady or two. There were never many people in the Gardens--only
those who had keys. She knew nothing about time but at length she
knew that on other mornings they had been playing together before
this.
The small rose-coloured figure stood so still for so long that it
began to look rigid and a nurse sitting at some distance said to
another,
"What is that child waiting for?"
What length of time had passed before she found herself looking
slowly down at her feet because of something. The "something"
which had drawn her eyes downward was that she had stood so long
without moving that her tense feet had begun vaguely to hurt her
and the ache attracted her attention. She changed her position
slightly and turned her eyes upon the gate again. He was coming very
soon. He would be sure to run fast now and he would be laughing.
Donal! Donal! She even laughed a little low, quivering laugh
herself.
"What is that child waiting for? I should really like to know,"
the distant nurse said again curiously.
If she had been eighteen years old she would have said to herself
that she was waiting hours and hours.
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