Chapter 8
Astolpho watched his friend wander from forest to meadow to lake to stream, talking to herself, fighting to the air, waiting without patience for her brother to come home. It had only been a week since he left, so she still had weeks to wait.
Her hair was long again, its dark brown tresses lit copper by the sun. She was fourteen now, and growing into more of a beauty than he had imagined.
Was it wrong to notice that? Astolpho wondered. He focused on her heart. She was brave, and loyal, and truthful. She was fearless in a way he never was. She ventured out into her world each day to see what it had to offer, ready to be delighted at what she found.
Astolpho was sixteen. In two years his master Samual would allow him to take his vows. On the exterior, his life would not change:
