Your Electronic Books

If he could have
kissed her in abstract purity he would have done so. But he could not
kiss her thus--and she seemed to leave no other way. And she yearned to
him.
He gave a brief laugh.
"Well," he said, "get that French and we'll do some--some Verlaine."
"Yes," she said in a deep tone, almost of resignation. And she rose and
got the books. And her rather red, nervous hands looked so pitiful, he
was mad to comfort her and kiss her. But then be dared not--or could
not. There was something prevented him. His kisses were wrong for her.
They continued the reading till ten o'clock, when they went into the
kitchen, and Paul was natural and jolly again with the father and
mother. His eyes were dark and shining; there was a kind of fascination
about him.
When he went into the barn for his bicycle he found the front wheel
punctured.
"Fetch me a drop of water in a bowl," he said to her. "I shall be late,
and then I s'll catch it."
He lighted the hurricane lamp, took off his coat, turned up the bicycle,
and set speedily to work.


Pages:
376 377 378 379 380 381 382 383 384 385 386 387 388 389 390 391 392 393 394 395 396 397 398 399 400