Reflections in a Golden Eye by Carson Mccullers Page A

Captain's wife. The moon softly lighted their faces and he was so close that he
     could feel her warm, even breath. In the soldier's grave eyes there was at first an
     expression of intent curiosity, but as the moments passed a look of bliss awakened in his
     heavy face. The young soldier felt in him a keen, strange sweetness that never before in
     his life had he known.
    He stood in this way, bent close over the Captain's wife, for some time. Then he touched
     his hand to the window sill to steady himself and very slowly squatted down beside the
     bed. He balanced himself on the broad balls of his feet, his back held straight, and his
     strong delicate hands resting on his knees. His eyes were round as amber buttons and his
     bangs lay in a tangled mat on his forehead.
    On a few occasions before this Private Williams had had this look of suddenly awakened
     happiness in his face, but no one on the post had seen him then. If he bad been seen at
     such a time he would have beep court martialed. The truth was that in his long ramblings
     through the forest of the reservation the soldier was sometimes not alone. When he could
     get leave from work in the afternoon, he took a certain horse from the stables with him.
     He rode about five miles from the post to a secluded spot, far from any paths, that was
     difficult to reach. Here in the woods there was a flat, clear space, covered with a grassy
     weed of the color of burnished bronze. In this lonely place the soldier always unsaddled
     his horse and let him go free. Then he took off his clothes and lay down on a large flat
     rock in the middle of the field. For there was one thing that this soldier could not do
     without the sun. Even on the coldest days he would lie still and naked and let the
     sunlight soak into his flesh. Sometimes, still naked, he stood on the rock and slipped
     upon the horse's bare back. His horse was an ordinary army plug which, with anyone but
     Private Williams, could sustain only two gaits a clumsy trot and a rocking horse gallop.
     But with the soldier a marvelous change came over the animal; he cantered or single footed
     with proud, stiff elegance. The soldier's body was of a pale golden brown and he held
     himself erect Without his clothes he was so slim that the pure, curved outlines of his
     ribs could be seen. As he cantered about in the sunlight, there was a sensual, savage
     smile on his lips that would have surprised his barrack mates. After such outings he came
     back weary to the stables and spoke to no one.
    Private Williams squatted by the bed in The Lady's room until almost dawn. He did not
     move, or make a sound, or take his eyes from the body of the Captain's wife. Then, as the
     day was breaking, he balanced himself again with his hand on the window sill and got up
     carefully. He went down the stairs and closed the back door cautiously behind him. Already
     the sky was a pale blue and Venus was fading.

Carson McCullers - Reflections In A Golden Eye

CHAPTER 3
    Alison Langdon had lived through a night of torment. She did not sleep until the sun came
     up and the bugle sounded reveille. During those long hours many eerie thoughts had
     troubled her. Once just at dawn she even fancied, she was almost sure, that she saw
     someone come out of the Pendertons' house and walk off into the woods. Then, soon after
     she finally got to sleep, a great racket awakened her. Hurriedly she put on her bathrobe,
     went downstairs, and found herself confronting a shocking and ridiculous spectacle. Her
     husband was chasing Anacleto round and round the dining room table with a boot in his
     hand. He was in his sock feet, but otherwise completely uniformed for Saturday morning
     inspection. His sword banged against his thigh as he ran. They both stopped short when
     they saw her. Then Anacleto hastened to take refuge behind her back.
    'He did it on purpose!' the Major said in an outraged voice. 'I'm already late.