in a trap and at
bay, without escape.

With the great peal of thunder the Aphrodite trembled from head to
foot, twice, as the vibration ran down the walls of the house to the
very foundations and then came up again and died away, like the second
shock of an earthquake. The statue trembled as if it were alive and
afraid.

With a glance, Margaret measured the distance which separated her from
the door, but it was too far. There were half-a-dozen steps, and
Logotheti was much nearer to her than that, even allowing that he must
get past the chair to reach her.

Now he moved a little and it was too late to try. He was beside the
chair instead of behind it; but then he stopped and came no further
yet, while he spoke to her.

'Why did you come?' he asked in a low tone. 'You might have guessed
that it wasn't quite safe!'

It was almost as if he were speaking to himself. She kept her eyes on
him, and tried to back away towards the door so slowly that he should
not notice it. But he smiled and his lids drooped.

'You could not open the door if you reached it,' he said. 'You said
that you wanted to speak with me alone. We are alone here--quite alone.
No one can hear, even if you scream. No one can get in. Why did you say
you wanted to be alone with me, if you were not in earnest? Why do you
risk playing with a man who is crazy about you, and has everything in
the world except you, and would throw it all away to have you? And now
that you are here of your own accord, why should I let you go?'

The speech was rough, but there was a sudden caress in his voice with
the last words, and he had scarcely spoken them when another flash of
lightning filled the room with a maddening purple light.

Before the peal broke, Logotheti held Margaret by the wrists, and spoke
close to her face, very fast.

'I will not let you go. I love you, and I will not let you go.'

The thunder burst, and roared and echoed away, while he drew her
nearer, looking for the woman in her eyes, too mad to know that she did
not feel what he felt. He touched her now; he could feel her
breathings, fast and frightened, and the quiver that ran through her
limbs. He held her, but without hurting her in the least--she could
turn her wrists loosely in the bonds he made of his fingers. Yet she
could not get away from him and he drew her closer.

She threw her head back from his face, and tried to speak.

'Please--please, let me go.'

'No. I love you.'

He d