And she offered him her hand.

“No,” he said, “you struck me here, in the face. My cheek is still burning. I won’t accept your hand.”

“Poor cheek!” she said, teasingly. “Poor prince! Did I hit hard?”

“Yes.”

“How can I extinguish that burning?”

He looked at her, still breathing hard, and flushed, with glittering carbuncle eyes:

“You’re a bigger coquette than any Italian woman.”

She laughed:

“With a kiss?” she asked.

“Demon!” he muttered, between his teeth.