CHAPTER XXIX

aidValancy. “Iwon’tleaveyouagain.” “Youmust,”protestedValancy,“ifyouwantto.I’dbemiserableifIthoughtyouwantedtogoanddidn’t,becauseofme.Iwantyoutofeelperfectlyfree.” Barneylaughed—alittlecynically. “Thereisnosuchthingasfreedomonearth,”hesaid.“Onlydifferentkindsofbondages.Andcomparativebondages.Youthinkyouarefreenowbecauseyou’veescapedfromapeculiarlyunbearablekindofbondage.Butareyou?Youloveme—that’sabondage.” “Whosaidorwrotethat‘theprisonuntowhichwedoomourselvesnoprisonis’?”askedValancydreamily,clingingtohisarmastheyclimbeduptherocksteps. “Ah,nowyouhaveit,”saidBarney.“That’sallthefreedomwecanhopefor—thefreedomtochooseourprison.But,Moonlight,”—hestoppedatthedooroftheBlueCastleandlookedabouthim—atthegloriouslake,thegreat,shadowywoods,thebonfires,thetwinklinglights—“Moonlight,I’mgladtobehomeagain.WhenIcamedownthroughthewoodsandsawmyhomelights—mine—gleamingoutundertheoldpines—somethingI’dneverseenbefore—oh,girl,Iwasglad—glad!” ButinspiteofBarney’sdoctrineofbondage,Valancythoughttheyweresplendidlyfree.Itwasamazingtobeabletosituphalfthenightandlookatthemoonifyouwantedto.Tobelateformealsifyouwantedto—shewhohadalwaysbeenrebukedsosharplybyhermotherandsoreproachfullybyCousinSticklesifshewereoneminutelate.Dawdleovermealsaslongasyouwantedto.Leaveyourcrustsifyouwantedto.Notcomehomeatallformealsifyouwantedto.Sitonasun-warmrockandpaddleyourbarefeetinthehotsandifyouwantedto.Justsitanddonothinginthebeautifulsilenceifyouwantedto.Inshort,doanyfoolthingyouwantedtowheneverthenotiontookyou.Ifthatwasn’tfreedom,whatwas?