“I’d better be going, I think,” she said. “They’ll——”
But he stopped her as she was about to get up, with a hand on her arm.
“No!” he said. “No!...”
“Why?” she asked.
His great staring eyes made her terribly uneasy.
“I’ll really have to go,” she said. “It’s late.”
He let her rise this time, but rose himself as well, and suddenly caught her in his arms.
She was for an instant too much astounded to struggle. But as he tried to kiss her, she gave him a vigourous push.
“Let me go!” she cried. “What’s the matter with you?”
He couldn’t delude himself that she was acting; he could see too plainly the horrified incredulity in her eyes. He saw that he had made a mistake.