"This is the best I can do. You and the woman see if you can tie up your
feet somehow."
The girl hesitated, laughed, and took the kerchief. She and Mandy bent
apart, and I heard the ripping of the handkerchief torn across. The girl
turned back to the fire and put out a little foot for us to see, muffled
now in the red folds of the kerchief. Her thin garments by this time
were becoming dry, and her spirits now became more gay. She fell into a
ready comradeship with us.
As she stood at the fire, innocent of its defining light, I saw that she
was a beautiful creature, apparently about twenty years of age. Given
proper surroundings, I fancied, here was a girl who might make trouble
for a man. Eyes like hers, I imagined, had before this set some man's
heart astir; and one so fair as she never waited long in this world for
admirers.
She stooped and spread out her hands before the flames. I could see that
her hands were small and well formed, could see the firelight shine pink
at the inner edges of her fingers. On one finger, as I could not avoid
noticing, was a curious ring of plain gold. The setting, also of gold,
was deeply cut into the figure of a rose.
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