the hand and moved over on the seat. He did not speak, but turned his face from her and looked out of the window toward the river. Thus they sat in silence, Brandon's hand resting listlessly upon the cushion between them. Mary saw the eloquent movement away from her and his speaking attitude, with averted face; then the princess went into eclipse, and the imperial woman was ascendant once more. She looked at him for a brief space with softening [123]eyes, and, lifting her hand, put it back in his, saying: [123] "There it is again—if you want it." Want it? Ah! this was too much! The hand would not satisfy now; it must be all, all! And he caught her to his arms with a violence that frightened her. "Please don't, please! Not this time. Ah! have mercy, Charl—Well! There!... There!... Mary mother, forgive me." Then her woman spirit fell before the whirlwind of his passion, and she was on his breast with her white arms around his neck, paying the same tribute to the little blind god that he would have exacted from the lowliest maiden of the land. Just as though it were not the blood of fifty kings and queens that made so red and sweet, aye, sweet as nectar thrice distilled, those lips which now so freely paid their dues in coined bliss. Brandon held the girl for a moment or two, then fell upon his knees and buried his face in her lap. "Heaven help me!" he cried. She pushed the hair back from his forehead with her hand and as she fondled the curls, leaned over him and softly whispered: "Heaven help us both; for I love you!" He sprang to his feet. "Don't! don't! I pray you," he said wildly, and almost ran from her. Mary followed him nearly to the door of the [124]room, but when he turned he saw that she had stopped, and was standing with her hands over her face, as if in tears. [124] He went back to her and said: "I tried to avoid this, and if you had helped me, it would never—" But he remembered how he had always despised Adam for throwing the blame upon Eve, no matter how much she may have deserved it, and continued: "No; I do not mean that. It is all my fault. I
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