"How dare you? What do you mean?"
"Don't be a fool. Do you suppose that I don't guess that that is
meant for the girl who looked after your estate in order to catch
you?"
She saw that this hit the mark, so she went still further.
"She, the model of virtue! why, when she was a mere girl, she
disgraced herself with an old man."
As she spoke she was seized by the throat and flung backwards on
to the sofa, without the grasp being relaxed. She was breathless,
she saw his face over her; deadly rage was in it. A strength, a
wildness of which she had no conception, gazed upon her in sensual
delight at being able to strangle her.
After a wild struggle her arms sank down powerless, her will with
them; only her eyes remained wide open, in terror and wonderment.
Dare he? "Yes, he dare!" Her eyes grew dim, her limbs began to
tremble.
"You have taken MY apple, I tell you," was heard in a childish
voice from the next room, a soft lisping voice.
It came from the most peaceful innocence in the world! It saved
her!
He rushed out again; but even when the rage had left him which had
seized upon him and dominated him as a rider does a horse, he was
still not horrified at himself.
Pages:
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147