“Oh, no hurry for that!” he replied. “But you shall certainly see it, for it is your own, you know. There!” He picked up a Petitot snuff-box from one of the tables, and closed her fingers on it. “That is an odd gift for a lady, is it not? But I fancy you Eke snuff-boxes better than trinkets.”
“I do not know what to say, sir,” faltered Miss Taverner. “You are very good. I—I thank you, and assure you I shall treasure it, and—and always feel myself to have been honoured indeed.”
“Come, come, come!” said the Regent, smiling broadly. “That is not how I like to be thanked! Supposing we were to forget all this ceremony, eh?”
He was standing so close to her now that she could feel the warmth of his body. He was going to kiss her; his hand was stealing up her bare arm; his breath was on her averted cheek. His grossness, the very scent with which he lavishly sprinkled his clothes, revolted her. Her impulse was to thrust him away, and to run back into the Saloon, but she felt curiously weak, and the heat of the room was making her head spin.
His arm encircled her waist; he said caressingly: “Why, here is a shy little miss! But you must not be shy with me, must you?”
Miss Taverner had the oddest sensation of being hot and cold at once. She said in an uncertain voice: “Forgive me, sir, but the room is so close—I am afraid—I must—sit down for a moment!” She made a feeble attempt to disengage herself from his hold, and then, for the first time in her life, quietly fainted away.
She regained consciousness a minute or two later, and was aware first of feeling very sick, and then of being in strange, glittering surroundings. A peevish voice was saying loudly: “Nonsense! no such thing! She was overpowered by the heat! Most unfortunate! quite extraordinary! I never heard of such a thing. Fainting in the Pavilion! Really, it is a damned awkward situation! I would not have had it happen for the world.”
Miss Taverner recognized the voice, felt a cool hand on her brow, and shuddered uncontrollably. She gave a fluttering sob, and opened her eyes, and found herself looking straight up into her guardian’s face. She stared for a moment. “Oh, it’s you!” she murmured thankfully.
“Yes, it’s I,” Worth said in his level voice. “You will be better in a minute. Don’t try to get up.”
She groped for his hand. “Please stay. Please don’t go away and leave me here.”