She faltered the words; she felt her will subdued. Tarrant reached a hand, and took one of hers, and kissed it; then allowed her to draw it away.
‘Now will you give me another blackberry?’
The girl was trembling; a light shone in her eyes. She offered the leaf with fruit in it; Tarrant, whilst choosing, touched the blue veins of her wrist with his lips.
‘What are you going to do?’ she asked presently. ‘I mean, what do you aim at in life?’
‘Enjoyment. Why should I trouble about anything else. I should be content if life were all like this: to look at a beautiful face, and listen to a voice that charms me, and touch a hand that makes me thrill with such pleasure as I never knew.’
‘It’s waste of time.’
‘Oh, never time was spent so well! Look at me again like that—with the eyes half-closed, and the lips half-mocking. Oh, the exquisite lips! If I might—if I might—’
He did not stir from his posture of languid ease, but Nancy, with a quick movement, drew a little away from him, then rose.
‘It’s time to go back,’ she said absently.
‘No, no; not yet. Let me look at you for a few minutes more!’