Последний отзыв
Книгу прочитать не могу, везде ЛитРес свой нос сунул, как и где скачать полную версию бесплатно!?!?
По всем вопросам обращайтесь на: info@litportal.ru
(©) 2003-2024.
✖
Ailsa Paige
Настройки чтения
Размер шрифта
Высота строк
Поля
"It is too late for friendship. You know it."
"That cannot be."
"Why, Ailsa?"
"Because it is friendship—mistaken friendship that moves you now in every word you say." She raised her candid gaze. "Is there no end to your self-murder? Do you still wish to slay yourself before my very eyes?"
"I tell you that there is nothing good left living in me:
"And if it were true; did you never hear of a resurrection?"
"I—warn you!"
"I hear your warning."
"You dare let me love you?"
Dry-lipped, voices half stifled by their mounting emotion, they stood closely confronted, paling under the effort of self-mastery. And his was giving way, threatening hers with every breath.
Suddenly in his altered face she saw what frightened her, and her hand suddenly closed in his; but he held it imprisoned.
"Answer me, Ailsa!"
"Please—" she said—"if you will let me go—I will answer—you–"
"What?"
"What you—ask."
Her breath was coming faster; her face, now white as a flower, now flushed, swam before him. Through the surging passion enveloping him he heard her voice as at a distance:
"If you will—let me go—I can tell you–"
"Tell me now!"
"Not—this way. . . . How can you care for me if–
"I warned you, Ailsa! I told you that I am unfit to love you. No woman could ever marry me! No woman could even love me if she knew what I am! You understood that. I told you. And now—good God!—I'm telling you I love you—I can't let you go!—your hands:—the sweetness of them—the–"
"I—oh, it must not be—this way–"
"It is this way!"
"I know—but please try to help.—I—I am not afraid to—love you–"
Her slender figure trembled against him; the warmth of her set him afire. There was a scent of tears in her breath—a fragrance as her body relaxed, yielded, embraced; her hands, her lids, her: hair, her mouth, all his now, for the taking, as he took her into his arms. But he only stared down at what lay there; and, trembling, breathless, her eyes unclosed and she looked up blindly into his flushed face.
"Because I—love you," she sighed, "I believe in all that—that I have—never—seen—in you."
He looked back into her eyes, steadily:
"I am going mad over you, Ailsa. There is only destruction for you in that madness. . . . Shall I let you go?"
"W-what?"
But the white passion in his face was enough; and, involuntarily her lids shut it out. But she did not stir.
"I—warned you," he said again.
"I know. . . . Is it in you to—destroy—me?"
"God knows. . . . Yes, it is."
She scarcely breathed; only their hearts battled there in silence.
Then he said harshly:
"What else is there for us? You would not marry me."
"Ask me."
"You would not marry me if I told you–"
"What?"
"I will not tell you!"
"Are you—married?"
"No!"
"Then tell me!"
"G-od! No! I can't throw this hour away. I can't throw love away! I want you anyway—if you have the—courage!"
"Tell me. I promise to marry you anyway. I promise it, whatever you are! Tell me."
"I—" An ugly red-stained neck and forehead; his embrace suddenly hurt her so that she cried out faintly, but her hand closed on his.
"Tell me, tell me, tell me!" she pleaded; "I know you are half crazed by something—some dreadful thing that has been done to you—" and ceased, appalled at the distorted visage he turned on her. His arms relaxed and fell away from her.
Released, she stood swaying as though stunned, pressed both hands to her eyes, then let her arms fall, inert.
For a moment they confronted one another; then he straightened up, squared his shoulders with a laugh that terrified her.
"No," he said, "I won't tell you! You go on caring for me. I'm beast enough to let you. Go on caring! Love me—if you're brave enough. . . . And I warn you now that I love you, and I don't care a damn how I do it! . . . Now you are frightened! . . . Very well—I–"
He swayed a little, swung blindly on his heel, and lurched out into the hall.
"That cannot be."
"Why, Ailsa?"
"Because it is friendship—mistaken friendship that moves you now in every word you say." She raised her candid gaze. "Is there no end to your self-murder? Do you still wish to slay yourself before my very eyes?"
"I tell you that there is nothing good left living in me:
"And if it were true; did you never hear of a resurrection?"
"I—warn you!"
"I hear your warning."
"You dare let me love you?"
Dry-lipped, voices half stifled by their mounting emotion, they stood closely confronted, paling under the effort of self-mastery. And his was giving way, threatening hers with every breath.
Suddenly in his altered face she saw what frightened her, and her hand suddenly closed in his; but he held it imprisoned.
"Answer me, Ailsa!"
"Please—" she said—"if you will let me go—I will answer—you–"
"What?"
"What you—ask."
Her breath was coming faster; her face, now white as a flower, now flushed, swam before him. Through the surging passion enveloping him he heard her voice as at a distance:
"If you will—let me go—I can tell you–"
"Tell me now!"
"Not—this way. . . . How can you care for me if–
"I warned you, Ailsa! I told you that I am unfit to love you. No woman could ever marry me! No woman could even love me if she knew what I am! You understood that. I told you. And now—good God!—I'm telling you I love you—I can't let you go!—your hands:—the sweetness of them—the–"
"I—oh, it must not be—this way–"
"It is this way!"
"I know—but please try to help.—I—I am not afraid to—love you–"
Her slender figure trembled against him; the warmth of her set him afire. There was a scent of tears in her breath—a fragrance as her body relaxed, yielded, embraced; her hands, her lids, her: hair, her mouth, all his now, for the taking, as he took her into his arms. But he only stared down at what lay there; and, trembling, breathless, her eyes unclosed and she looked up blindly into his flushed face.
"Because I—love you," she sighed, "I believe in all that—that I have—never—seen—in you."
He looked back into her eyes, steadily:
"I am going mad over you, Ailsa. There is only destruction for you in that madness. . . . Shall I let you go?"
"W-what?"
But the white passion in his face was enough; and, involuntarily her lids shut it out. But she did not stir.
"I—warned you," he said again.
"I know. . . . Is it in you to—destroy—me?"
"God knows. . . . Yes, it is."
She scarcely breathed; only their hearts battled there in silence.
Then he said harshly:
"What else is there for us? You would not marry me."
"Ask me."
"You would not marry me if I told you–"
"What?"
"I will not tell you!"
"Are you—married?"
"No!"
"Then tell me!"
"G-od! No! I can't throw this hour away. I can't throw love away! I want you anyway—if you have the—courage!"
"Tell me. I promise to marry you anyway. I promise it, whatever you are! Tell me."
"I—" An ugly red-stained neck and forehead; his embrace suddenly hurt her so that she cried out faintly, but her hand closed on his.
"Tell me, tell me, tell me!" she pleaded; "I know you are half crazed by something—some dreadful thing that has been done to you—" and ceased, appalled at the distorted visage he turned on her. His arms relaxed and fell away from her.
Released, she stood swaying as though stunned, pressed both hands to her eyes, then let her arms fall, inert.
For a moment they confronted one another; then he straightened up, squared his shoulders with a laugh that terrified her.
"No," he said, "I won't tell you! You go on caring for me. I'm beast enough to let you. Go on caring! Love me—if you're brave enough. . . . And I warn you now that I love you, and I don't care a damn how I do it! . . . Now you are frightened! . . . Very well—I–"
He swayed a little, swung blindly on his heel, and lurched out into the hall.
Другие электронные книги автора Robert Chambers
Другие аудиокниги автора Robert Chambers
Последний отзыв
Книгу прочитать не могу, везде ЛитРес свой нос сунул, как и где скачать полную версию бесплатно!?!?