A wild fit of sobbing startled them all.
CHAPTER XXVIII
LOVE
Allison swept Gail into his arms, and rained hot kisses upon her, crushing her closely to him. She offered no resistance, and the very fact that she held so supinely in his arms, made Allison release her sooner than he might otherwise have done. She had known that this experience must come, that no look or gesture or word of hers could ward it off.
“You must never do that again,” she told him, stepping back from him, and regaining her breath with an effort. She had lingered in the front parlours to receive him before her Uncle Jim should know that he was in the house, and she had led him straight into the little tête-à-tête reception room. She meant to free herself quickly.
“Why not?” he laughed, and advanced toward her, taking her attitude lightly, ascribing her action to a girlish whim, confident in his power over her. He meant to dispose of her coyness by taking her in his arms again. She belonged to him.
“Mr. Allison.” The tone was cold enough, and deadly in earnest enough to arrest him.
“What’s the matter, Gail?” he protested, ready to humour her, to listen to what she had to say, to smooth matters out.
“You have no right,” she told him.
“Yes I have,” he jovially assured her. “I hope I don’t have to wait until after marriage for a kiss. If that’s the case I’ll take you out and marry you right now.”
There was an infection in his laugh, contagion in the assumption that all was right between them, and that any difference was one which could be straightened out with jolly patience, and Gail, though her determination would not have changed, might have softened toward him, had she not seen in his face a look which paled her lips. Ever since last night he had anticipated her, had rejoiced in his possession of her, had dreamed on the time when he should take her for his own; and his eyes were cloudy with his thoughts of her.