e, "what
are you talking about? What have I done? What do you mean? You must not
go!"

And her hand sought mine and closed over it with an appealing, seducing
touch. It went through my nerves and frame like flame. It seemed to
confuse and scatter speech, sweep it from me as some useless trifle,
and wake one intolerable burning desire for action.

I withdrew my hand suddenly, unbent my arm, and leaning over the
intervening chair side, put it round the low exquisite waist and tried
to draw her towards me. But this most irritating of women resented
immediately that which she had just invited.

"You must not!" she said, vehemently, trying with both hands to
disengage her waist from my arm, her face changing uncertainly from
white to scarlet, her eyes meeting mine with a fugitive alarm, which
nearly, but not entirely, overwhelmed a furtive transitory look of
pleasure at the contact.

I had not mistaken her, I thought, she was both weak and sensual. I
must conquer the first quality, and seduce the second, and the battle
was won. But it was hard to prevent my own self-command slipping from
me, and if I did not keep that, my real object would be lost in this
useless sort of coquetry, or possibly a quarrel. I wanted all my own
judgment--and it was difficult to summon it and keep it--to tell me
exactly how far to push matters to excite her, without driving her to
get up and leave me altogether.

"Nonsense!" I said, looking down into the changing face and on to the
heaving, panting bosom; "if we are engaged, you know, I have a right to
do much more than put my arm round your waist."

"Right!" she repeated, scornfully, "there is no right except what I
choose! Take your arm away!"

"Listen to me," I said quietly, paying no heed to her request, except
to tighten my clasp just so much as I dared.

Such a waist it was, yielding, supple, and warm; it was maddening to
have to restrain the muscles in my arm and regulate their pressure. The
blood went to my brain, and it was with a severe effort I collected my
thoughts.

"You say," I continued, "that I must not go. Lucia, there is only one
single condition on which I will stay."

"What is it?" she murmured.

She had ceased to resist my arm now. The colour was hot in her face,
and her eyes confused.

"That you name some definite and definitive date for our marriage."

"This question again! How you do torture me! It worries me to have to
think about it!"

"I know, dearest