Page:The Tragic Muse (London & New York, Macmillan & Co., 1890), Volume 2.djvu/18

10 her, that he was in possession of her. She closed her eyes but she heard him ask: "Why shouldn't it be forever, forever?" in a voice that had, for her ear, such a vibration as no voice had ever had.

"You've done it—you've done it," Nick repeated.

"What do you want of me?" she demanded.

"To stay with me, this way, always."

"Ah, not this way," she answered, softly, but as if in pain, and making an effort, with a certain force, to detach herself.

"This way, then—or this!" He took such insistent advantage of her that he had quickly kissed her. She rose as quickly, but he held her yet, and while he did so he said to her in the same tender tone: "If you'll marry me, why shouldn't it be so simple, so good?" He drew her closer again, too close for her to answer. But her struggle ceased and she rested upon him for a minute, she buried her face on his breast.

"You're hard, and it's cruel!" she then exclaimed, breaking away.

"Hard—cruel?"

"You do it with so little!" And with this, unexpectedly to Nick, Mrs. Dallow burst straight into tears. Before he could stop her she was at the door of the pavilion, as if she wished to quit it immediately. There, however, he stopped her, bending over her while she sobbed, unspeakably gentle with her.

"So little? It's with everything—with everything I have."

"I have done it, you say? What do you accuse me of doing?" Her tears were already over.