Page:The Novels and Tales of Henry James, Volume 1 (New York, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1907).djvu/298

 which sprouted from the top of an immense fragment of wall some twenty feet from their place. Roderick turned his head and looked at it without answering. At last glancing round, "Put up your veil!" he said; and then on the girl's complying: "Does it look as blue now?"

"Ah, what a lovely colour!" she murmured as she leaned her head to one side.

"Should you like to have it?"

She stared a moment, then laughed as if in spite of herself.

"Should you like to have it?" he repeated in a ringing voice.

"Don't look as if you would eat me up," she answered. "Do you suppose I want you to get it for me?"

Roderick rose to his feet and stood looking at the little flower. It was separated from the ledge on which he stood by a rugged surface of vertical wall which dropped straight into the dusky vaults behind the arena. Suddenly he took off his hat and flung it behind him. Christina then sprang to her feet.

"I 'll get it for you," he said. She seized his arm. "Are you crazy? Do you mean to kill yourself?"

"I shall not kill myself. Sit down!"

"Pardon me. Not till you do!" And she grasped his arm with both hands.

Roderick shook her off and pointed with a violent gesture to her former place. "Go there!" he harshly cried. 264