them, and sobbing."

"And what did they do?"

"'Hildreth, for God's sake!' Mubby called, 'what's the matter now?' in
that bland, exasperating tone of his,--that injured, self-righteous,
I'm-sacrificing-myself-for-mankind tone--"

I had to laugh at her exact mimicry....

I stroked her hair....

* * * * *

"I'm glad you came to Eden, John Gregory. You might be a poet, but you
have some human sense in you, too....

"Oh, you don't know what I've been through," then, femininely, "poor,
poor Mubby, he's been through a lot, too."

Her tears began to flow again. I sat beside her on the bed. I put my arm
about her and drew her to me. I kissed her tear-wet mouth. The taste of
her ripe sweet mouth with the salt of her tears wet on her lips was very
good to me....

In a minute unexpectedly she began returning my kisses ... hungrily ...
her eyes closed ... breathing deeply like one in a trance....

* * * * *

"Go up to the house now, Johnnie, my love ... go, so Mubby won't be
suspicious of us ... I want to stay here ... leave the blinds drawn as
they are....

"You have been so gentle, so sweet."

"Hildreth ... listen to me ... this has been the greatest day in my
life, will always be! If I died now, I would go to death, singing....

"You're the most wonderful woman in the world....

"I want you to be mine forever....

"I know what it all means now....

"It's like Niagara, sweetheart ... one hears so much of it ... expects
so much ... that it seems disappointing, the first actuality....

"Then afterward, it's more than any dream ever dreamed of what it would
be!

"I want to work for you....

"I want to let you walk all over me with your little feet....

"I want you to kill me, sweetheart....

"I want to die for you....

"Hildreth, I love you!

"I'll tell Penton ... I'll tell everybody--'I love Hildreth! I love
Hildreth!'"

* * * * *

"Johnnie, my own sweet darling, my own dear, pure-hearted, mad, young
poet....

"Don't talk that way....

"Come to me again...."

* * * * *

"Penton must not know. Not yet. You must let _me_ tell him.

"It is my place to tell him, sweetest of men, my darling boy...."

* * * * *

"Go to your tent.

_"He'd see it in your eyes now."_

"No, I won't go to my tent. I'll go right up to the house."

*