med burnished like dark copper, in
the double light of fire and day, and that gardenia skin looked fit to
eat. He was thrilled with a mad desire to kiss her; he had never felt so
strong an emotion towards a woman in his life.

"Your uncle tells me you are going away to-morrow, and that you will be
away until a week before our wedding. I wish you were not going to be,
but I suppose you must--for clothes and things."

"Yes, I must."

He got up; he could not sit still, he was too wildly excited; he stood
leaning on the mantelpiece, quite close to her, for a moment, his eyes
devouring her with the passionate admiration he felt. She glanced up,
and when she saw their expression her jet brows met, while a look of
infinite disgust crept over her face.

So it had come--so soon! He was just like all men--a hateful, sensual
beast. She knew he desired to kiss her--to kiss a person he did not
know! Her experience of life had not encouraged her to make the least
allowance for the instinct of man. For her, that whole side of human
beings was simply revolting. In the far back recesses of her mind she
knew and felt that caresses and such things might be good if one
loved--passionately loved--but in the abstract, just because of the
attraction of sex, they were hideous. No man had ever had the conceded
tip of her little finger, although she had been forced to submit to
unspeakable exhibitions of passion from Ladislaus, her husband.

For her, Tristram appeared a satyr, but she was no timid nymph, but a
fierce panther ready to defend herself!

He saw her look and drew back--cooled.

The thing was going to be much more difficult than he had even thought;
he must keep himself under complete control, he knew now. So he turned
away to the window and glanced out on the wet park.

"My mother called upon you to-day, I believe," he said. "I asked her not
to expect you to be at home. It was only to show you that my family will
welcome you with affection."

"It is very good of them."

"The announcement of the engagement will be in the _Morning Post_
to-morrow. Do you mind?"

"Why should I mind?" (her voice evinced surprise). "Since it is true,
the formalities must take place."

"It seems as if it could not be true. You are so frightfully frigid," he
said with faint resentment.

"I cannot help how I am," she said in a tone of extreme hauteur. "I have
consented to marry you. I will go through with all the necessary
ceremonies, the pr