FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161  
162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   180   181   182   183   184   185   186   >>   >|  
ou keep me here!" she gave back fearlessly. "But here I can come to you. And the preliminaries are always stupid--I have no desire to reenact them. I am well content with where we have arrived. Be content, also." She stared back at his smiling face. And all she thought was, "Shall I defy him now, or try to hold him off a little longer?" She had ceased to feel afraid; her blood was on fire; it was battle now between them; perhaps a battle of the wits a little longer, then---- "In America men do not make love by force," she flung at him. "You are mad, Captain Kerissen! You will be sorry if you go on like this. If you wish to marry me you must give me the freedom of choice. You must give me time. I must have a minister of my own faith. Do you think I will submit to this? You make me hate you!" "Hate is often love with a mask," he laughed, his eyes fixed on the spirited, flushed face, the flashing eyes, the defiant mouth. "And do not quote your America to me. You are done with America." "You say that? You forget who I am! My brother--I tell you my brother will----" "Do I not know the risks?" His eyes narrowed. "But your brother will ask in vain. He will not see you--until we reappear as husband and wife. I will take you to the Continent, then I will give you everything a woman wants, luxury and jewels--the pearls of my ancestors I will hang on you. These have no woman of mine worn. You shall be my adored, my dearest---- Oh, you must not turn from me," he pleaded, his voice sinking softer and softer as he stole closer to her. "You know that I am mad for you. You have bewitched me, little Rose, you have made me strong and weak in a breath. I am clay in your hands. Be sweet, be kind, be wife to me----" His hot hand gripped her arm. He bent over her, and she sprang back, her hands flung out before her. "Oh, wait!" she cried beseechingly. "Wait--please wait." "Wait? I have waited too long!" His voice was a snarl now. The mask of indolent mockery was gone; his face was stamped with cruelty and greed. "_Nom d'un nom_, I am through with this waiting!" She sprang back before his approach, then whirled about to face him, trying to beat him back with words, with reason, with appeal. Insanely he laughed and clutched at her as she flew past his outstretched arms; in the corner he pinioned her against the wall and gripped her to him. Terror gave her the strength of two--and his hand was bandaged. Desperately she a
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161  
162   163   164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   180   181   182   183   184   185   186   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
brother
 

America

 

battle

 

softer

 

laughed

 
longer
 
gripped
 

sprang

 
content
 

strong


breath

 

bandaged

 
sinking
 

Desperately

 
jewels
 

pearls

 
ancestors
 
adored
 

dearest

 

closer


bewitched

 

pleaded

 

beseechingly

 

approach

 

whirled

 

Terror

 

waiting

 

strength

 

Insanely

 

clutched


appeal

 
reason
 

pinioned

 

waited

 

outstretched

 
corner
 

stamped

 
cruelty
 

mockery

 
indolent

luxury
 

flushed

 
afraid
 
ceased
 

Captain

 

Kerissen

 
preliminaries
 

stupid

 
desire
 

fearlessly