"Long, John Luther - Purple-Eyes" - читать интересную книгу автора (Long John Luther)

alarmed them both:
"Yes; come in!"
The damaged shoji slid haltingly aside, and she entered very slowly and softly;
and he thought of the pictures of the returning Sun-Goddess as she came through
the opening and down the burst of light it let in. As she prostrated herself
Garland noticed that her hair had been newly dressed (an operation of several
hours), and that she wore a dainty blue kimono, too gay for any but a geisha to
wear. But it became her royally.
"You look more than ever like a picture on a fan," greeted Garland, with even
more admiration in his eyes than in his voice.
Instead of being pleased, as any other Japanese girl would have been,
Purple-Eyes slowly shook her head.
"Alas! you naever see no picture on fan lig unto me."
"But I have," insisted Garland.
She shook her head again.
"Well, then, if not, why not?"
"They got not those purple eyeЧan' pink faceЧan' flaming hairЧ"
She sighed, and looked askance at Garland. He seemed fully to agree with her.
She changed her tone to one of resigned solicitude and ceremony.
"You sleeping wellЧall those night?"
"Well, by the great Jehovah and the Continental Congress, if I were a Japanese
artist, that is the kind of eyes and face and hair they should all have! Yes,
sir!Чevery blamed one of them!"
The girl caught her breath, and something flamed up her face and lighted her
splendid eyes anew. She dared to look at him. It had all sounded quite true.
Wistfully she dissembledЧthis at least was truly Japanese.
"You sleeping well all"Чshe lost her purpose for a momentЧ"all those nightЧall?"

"Blue eyes for me, every day in the week."
"You sleeping well?" Joy was all too plainly in her voice nowЧirrepressible joy.

He laughed, and caught her hands rapturously. She did not deny him, and he
kissed them.
"Oh, you are delightful!" said he.
"Me? I don' sleepЧmoach."
"You look as fresh as new porcelain."
"Yaes; I been fix up,"
She consciously let him look her over.
"No; I didn't sleep at first. I was listening to your voice," Garland confessed,
quite without reservation.
The girl was confused a little.
"You don' lig be annoy with those voice?"
"Why, it is divine!"
A white shaft of fear crossed her face.
"Tha' 'sЧjus'ЧfunЧI egspeg?"
"Tha' 's ver' earnest," he gayly mocked.
He was pleasing her now. She even went with his mood a little way. Joy was such
a beautiful and tempting and elusive thing!
"Lig goddess, mebby?"
Garland nodded seriously.