He lit a cigarette, to pass
it on to her before lighting one for himself.
Mavis lay back with the cigarette between her red lips, the while
her eyes lazily took in the strange loveliness about her. The joy
that burned so fiercely in her heart seemed to have been
communicated to the world. Sea, cliff, waterfalls were all
resplendent in the bountiful sunlight.
"It's not real: it's not real," she presently murmured.
"What isn't real?" he asked.
"This: you: love."
He reassured her with kisses.
"If it would only go on for ever!" she continued. "I'm so hungry for
happiness."
"Why shouldn't it?" he laughed.
"Will it be just the same when we're married?"
"Eh! Of course."
"Sure?"
"So long as you don't change," he declared.
She laughed scornfully, while he sauntered down to the sea,
cigarette in mouth. Mavis settled herself luxuriously to watch the
adored one through lazy, half-closed eyelids. He had previously
thrown away his straw hat; she saw how the wind wantoned in his
light curls. All her love seemed to well up into her throat. She
would have called to him, but her tongue refused speech; she was
sick with love; she wondered if she would ever recover.
Pages:
389
390
391
392
393
394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401
402
403
404
405
406
407
408
409
410
411
412
413