Who? His eye swept the group; the merry, scornful glances fixed upon him; the joyous, half-inviting glances; the red lips parted as in kindly invitation; shy lips, willing lips!
Who? His look kindled; he had made his selection, and the next moment his arm was impetuously thrown around the actress’s waist.
“Kiss her quick and let her go!”
Amid the mad confusion he strove to obey the command, but a panting voice murmured “no, no!” a pair of dark eyes gazed into his for an instant, defiantly, and the pliant waist slipped from his impassioned grasp; his eager lips, instead of touching that glowing cheek, only grazed a curl that had become loosened, and, before he could repeat the attempt, she had passed from his arms, with laughing lips and eyes.
“Play fair!” shouted the lads. “He should ‘kiss her quick and let her go.’”
“Oh, he let her go first!” said the others.
“‘Kiss her quick,’” reiterated the boys.
“He can’t now,” answered the girls.
The voices took up the refrain: “Don’t you muss the ruffles, O!” and the game went on. The old clock gossiped gleefully, its tongue repeating as plainly as words:
“Let-her-go!––ho!––ho!––one––two––three!”