r or later?"

She did not like him for saying that, but, perfectly resigned and
submissive, she said, for the second time:

"I am yours, dear."

Then he went quickly into his dressing-room, and she could distinctly
hear the rustling of his clothes as he took them off, the jingling of
the money in his pockets, the noise his boots made as he let them drop
on the floor. All at once he ran across the room in his drawers and
socks to put his watch on the mantelpiece; then he returned to the other
room, where he moved about a little while longer. Jeanne turned quickly
over to the other side and shut her eyes when she heard him coming. She
nearly started out of bed when she felt a cold, hairy leg slide against
hers, and, distractedly hiding her face in her hands, she moved right to
the edge of the bed, almost crying with fear and horror. He took her in
his arms, although her back was turned to him, and eagerly kissed her
neck, the lace of her nightcap, and the embroidered collar of her
night-dress. Filled with a horrible dread, she did not move, and then
she felt his strong hands caressing her. She gasped for breath at this
brutal touch, and felt an intense longing to escape and hide herself
somewhere out of this man's reach. Soon he lay still, and she could feel
the warmth of his body against her back. She did not feel so frightened
then, and all at once the thought flashed across her mind that she had
only to turn round and her lips would touch his.

At last he seemed to get impatient, and, in a sorrowful voice, he said:

"Then you will not be my little wife?"

"Am I not your wife already?" she said, through her hands.

"Come now, my dear, don't try to make a fool of me," he answered, with a
touch of bad temper in his voice.

She felt very sorry when she heard him speak like that, and with a
sudden movement she turned towards him to ask his pardon. He
passionately seized her in his arms and imprinted burning kisses all
over her face and neck. She had taken her hands from her face and lay
still, making no response to his efforts, her thoughts so confused that
she could understand nothing, until suddenly she felt a sharp pain, and
then she began to moan and writhe in his arms.

What happened next? She did not know, for her head was in a whirl. She
was conscious of nothing more until she felt him raining grateful kisses
on her lips. Then he spoke to her and she had to answer; then he made
other attempts, which she rep