Ainslee's Magazine, February 1913 — page 46: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

36 under lip, and Count Roumovski moved convulsively. “My sister’s room is next to this,” he said, “and yours is beyond. I have had only roses put there, because you are like a sweet June rose.” “Am I?” said Miss Rawson, and raised her head. She had grown ex- tremely excited and disappointed, and she knew not what, only that she did not like this lover of hers to be sitting there constrained and aloof, talking in a stiff voice, unlike his usual easy grace. It was perfectly ridiculous to have run away with some one with whom she was passionately in love if he were going to remain as cold as ice. She got up and took a rose from a vase, and fastened it in her dress. The whole movement and action had the unconscious coquetry of a woman’s methods to gain her end. Totally un- accustomed as Stella was to all arti- fices, instinct was her teacher. Sasha Roumovski rose suddenly. “Come and sit here beside me again, heart of mine,’ he commanded, with imperious love, and indicated the stiff Louis XIV. sofa. “I must explain everything to you, it would seem.” Stella had never heard this tone in his voice before; it caused her strange delight, and she shyly took her seat at one end of the sofa, and then, as he flung himself down beside her, .she looked up at him. “What must asked. “First, that I love you madly; that it is sickening temptation to be with you now every instant without hold- ing you in my arms.” And his voice trembled, while his blue eyes glowed. “That—I do not know how to resist the wild passion which is overcoming me—I want to kiss you. so terribly— more than I have ever wanted anything in. my. life.” “We-ll?” said Stella, with a quiver of exquisite joy. “And She had almost spoken her thought of “Why do you not do so, then?” but the burn- ing passion she read in his made her drop her own eyes. This was too much you explain?’ she AINSLEE’S for him. He understood perfectly, and, with a little cry, he drew her to him, and his lips had*almost touched her red, young, pouting lips when he sud- denly controlled himself and put her from him. ‘No, sweetheart,” he said hoarsely. “You would never respect me any more if I took advantage of your tenderness now. As soon—as soon as I really may I will teach you every shade of love, and its meanings; I will kiss those lips and unloosen that hair; I will suffocate you with caresses, and make you thrill as I shall thrill until we both forget everything in the intoxication of bliss.” And he half closed his eyes, and his face grew pale again with suppressed emotion. “Oh, I do not understand at all,” Stella said, in a disappointed and per- plexed voice. “Since we are going to be married, why would it be so very wrong for you to kiss me? [—[——” Her small, rueful face, with its sweet, childlike, irregular curves, looked al- most pathetically comic, and Sasha Roumovski leaned forward and cov- ered his eyes with his hands. And then he mastered himself, and laughed softly. “Oh, you adorable one!” he said. “It is not wrong—not the least wrong. Only presently, when you do under- stand, you will realize how very much I loved you to-day.” But Stella was still pouting, and got up restlessly, and went to the window. “What can they do when they get to the embassy?” she asked. “Could they really take me back if they found me by telephoning round?” “T do not think so—if you are past twenty-one.” “T was twenty-one in April; I am not a bit afraid of them, but I do not want to have any row.” “When my sister has arrived you must write to your aunt, and _ tell where you are, and what are your in- tentions ; then all will be finished.” “Oh, I wish she would come, don’t you?” Stella said. ‘More than I can say, darling,” he answered fervently. “You will not, I com (C Ook (C@