In a moment Hugh had sprung to his feet, but Neit-akrit now would not let him go; she clung to his garments, dragged at his cloak.
“Thou must not go,” she entreated. “The temple is dark and lonely—I am frightened; for pity’s sake do not leave me!”
“Nay, sweet! thou art safe enough here… for the love of heaven take thy dear hands from off my cloak!”
“Thou wilt not leave me?”
“I must go, sweet. Remember I have sworn! wouldst make a coward of me?… Nay! thou hast all but succeeded… be satisfied and let me go!”
She took her hands from off his cloak, but came up close to him and whispered:
“See! I do not hold thee, and yet thou wilt not go… thou art free! and yet thou wilt stay… thou hast smelt the perfume of the white pansy, and thou wilt forget all… save that thou dost love me.…”
“Neit-akrit!”
“Nay! thou dost entreat in vain.… Sweet, I would not have thee go! What is duty? what is the meaning of oath or pledge? Wouldst know why I came to-night?… I came because I knew that danger doth await thee outside this sacred temple.… I came because I knew that thou dost love me… and I trusted that that love would make thee forget the dawn, thy duty, thy pledged word, forget all, in order to remain beside Neit-akrit.”
“Forget? Ay! I have forgotten but too long already. Neit-akrit, thou speakest of danger; to me there is but one, and that is that I might forget all—my manhood, my honour, my pledge, my word, might forget thy innocence, and remember only that thou art fair.”