One of Our Conquerors - World eBook Library

One of Our Conquerors
such a face as I’m showing!’ she cried, with lips that twitched
and fingers that plucked at her belt. ‘But you might feel my
hatred of being tied to—dragged about over the Continent
by that … perhaps you think a woman is not sensible of
vulgarity in her husband! I ‘m bothering you? I don’t say I
have the slightest claim. You never made love to me, never!
Never so much as pressed my hand or looked. Others have—
as much as I let them. And before I saw you, I had not an
idea of another man but that man. So you advise me to go?’
‘There’s no other course.’
‘No other course. I don’t see one. What have I been dreaming
of! Usually a woman feeling …’ she struck at her breast,
‘has had a soft word in her ear. “Go!” I don’t blame you,
Captain Dartrey. At least, you ‘re not the man to punish a
woman for stripping herself, as I ‘ve done. I call myself a
fool—I’m a lunatic. Trust me with your hand.’
‘There you are.’
She grasped the hand, and shut her eyes to make a long
age of the holding on to him. ‘Oh, you dear dear fellow!—
don’t think me unwomanly; I must tell you now: I am naked
and can’t disguise. I see you are ice—feel: and if you were
different, I might be. You won’t be hurt by hearing you’ve
made yourself dear to me—without meaning to, I know! It
began that day at Lakelands; I fell in love with you the very
first minute I set eyes on you! There’s a confession for a
woman to make! and a married woman! I’m married, and I
no more feel allegiance, as they call it, than if there never
had been a ceremony and no Jacob Blathenoy was in existence.
And why I should go to him! But you shan’t be troubled.
I did not begin to live, as a woman, before I met you. I can
speak all this to you because—we women can’t be deceived
in that—you are one of the men who can be counted on for
a friend.’
‘I hope so,’ Dartrey said, and his mouth hardened as nature’s
electricity shot sparks into him from the touch and rocked
him.
‘No, not yet: I will soon let it drop,’ said she, and she was
just then thrillingly pretty; she caressed the hand, placing it
at her throat and moving her chin on it, as women fondle
birds. ‘I am positively to go, then?’
‘Positively, you are to go; and it’s my command.’
‘Not in love with any one at all?’
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