Her left hand, which hung at her side,
clenched convulsively. Then after another moment she removed her hand
from the latch and came back a few steps toward him and said:
"You kissed me once. Would you like to do it now? You may if you will
let my father go."
His gaze, before so glowing, actually dropped in confession before her
cold, hard eyes, and for a moment it seemed as if such supreme and icy
indifference had been able quite to chill his ardor. But as he lifted
his eyes again, and looked upon her, the temptation of so much
submissive beauty proved too great. He snatched her in his arms and
covered her lips and cheeks and temples with burning kisses, for one
alone of which he would have deemed it cheap to give his life if he
could not have won it otherwise. He kissed her, passive and
unresisting as a statue, till in very pity he was fain to let her go.
Even then she did not start away, but standing there before him,
pallid, rigid, with compressed lips and clenched hands, said faintly:
"You will release my father?" He bowed his head, unable to speak, and
she went out.
The people whispered to each other as she passed through the crowd, that
she had failed in her mission, she looked so white and anguish-stricken.
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