"
"Wouldst thou take me if--if I love another man?"
He caught her by the shoulders, and his hands were hard as steel.
"Darest thou to tell me that thou lovest a man?"
"Yes, I dare," she said. "Kill me if thou wilt. Since I have no earthly
help against thee, kill my body, and let God take my spirit where thou
canst never come. I love another man."
"Tell me his name, that I may find him."
"I will not. Nothing thou canst do will make me tell thee."
"It is that man who was with thee on the boat."
"I said I would not tell thee."
He shook her between his hands, so that the looped-up braids of her hair
fell down, as they had fallen when she danced, and the ends loosened
into curls. She looked like a pale child, and suddenly a great
tenderness for her melted his heart. He had never known that feeling
before, and it was very strange to him; for when he had loved, it had
been with passion, not with tenderness.
"Little white star," he said, "thou art but a babe, and I will not
believe that any man has ever touched thy mouth with his lips. Am I
right?"
"Yes, because he does not love me. It is I who love him, that is all,"
she answered naively. "I only knew how I really felt when thou saidst
thou wouldst make me love thee, for I was so sure that never, never
couldst thou do that. And I shall love the other man all my life, even
though I do not see him again."
"Thou shalt never see him again.
Pages:
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372
373
374
375
376
377
378
379
380
381
382
383
384
385
386
387
388
389