She stood before him, breathless and warm, the smoking cigarette still in her hand.
"Throw that away!" he said.
She took a step forward, struggling like a netted bird beneath the spell of his power.
"How absurd!" she said, softly. The cigarette dropped from her fingers to the floor.
He laughed. His eyes burned steadily upon her. Before his gaze her lashes wavered and fell, but not until she had seen the flashing of latent impulse in his face.
"But you dropped it," he said.
"Yes."
"Why did you?"
Mariana made a desperate effort at her old fearlessness. It failed her. Her eyes were upon the floor, but she felt his gaze piercing her fallen lids. She spoke hurriedly.
"Because—because I did," she answered.