Into Amaryllis' mind there flashed the thought that if she saw him often, her emotions for him might not keep at that high level! Her eyes perhaps expressed this doubt, for Verisschenzko bent nearer.
"Another must fulfil that which must be denied to me. You are too young to remain free from emotion. Hold yourself until the right time comes."
Amaryllis wondered why he should speak as though it were an understood thing that she could feel no emotion for John. She resented this.
"I have my husband," she answered with dignity and a sweetly conventional air.
Verisschenzko laughed.
"You are delicious when you say things like that—loyal, and English, and proud. But listen, child—it is waste of time to have any dissimulation with me, we finished all those things when we were lovers in our other life. Now we must be frank and learn of each other. Shall it not be so?"
Amaryllis felt a number of things.
"Yes, you are right, we will always speak the truth."
"You see," he went on, "if you represent anything you must never injure it; you must destroy yourself if necessary in its service. You represent an ideal, the ideal of the perfect wife of the Ardayres. You must fulfil this rôle. I represent a leader of certain thought in my country. My soul is given to this—I must only indulge in through which nothing demagnetising can pass. It is weakness and drifting which are inexorably punished; they draw currents suitable for the vampires beyond to exist on."
"All this does sound so weird to me." Amaryllis was interested and yet repelled.