“No,” he answered, embracing her,—“no; I thought you would not receive me at this hour, and I invented this pretext.” He pressed her more closely to his breast; she allowed him to do so unresistingly, and their lips met in a kiss.
“My life! my love!”
“You frighten me,” said Luiza, sighing profoundly.
“Is that true?”
Luiza did not answer; little by little she lost the clear perception of things; she felt a drowsy languor stealing over her senses, and murmured faintly,—
“No! no!”
At ten o’clock the bell rang loudly. It was Juliana. She went upstairs to the kitchen, gave a little cough, and said with a smile to Joanna,—
“At what time, then, is the cousin coming to see the mistress?”
“He came this evening, after you went out.”
“Ah!”