At first she thought only of flight, for somehow she did not feel that she could as yet meet the man whose last words to her still rung in her ears, and caused little qualms of fear in her heart. During the weeks in which she had not seen him she tried in vain to banish him from her mind; but the strange fascination which he held over her only seemed to increase. And yet she knew her heart did not leap for joy at thought of him, but rather its quickened beatings caused her an undesirable pain,—one so strange, and new and foreign. Could it be that this was love,—that great, mysterious thing which, whether we will or no, grips our very souls like bands of steel, and wrings them most piteously. How could she know? She had dreamed that with love came the sense of peace and rest; the feeling of utter repose and satisfaction, the complete knowledge of all that is good and true, the fulness of contentment, the satisfaction of every heart-felt longing; and here, at the very first appearance of the man who had so ardently confessed his devotion for her, her one thought was to flee, to hide and not to see him. Instead, she remained standing, perfectly quiet, and by the time she heard his step in the hall and Mrs. West’s cheery salutation she was quite mistress of herself.
With still a hesitancy in his walk, he came into the room. How his face brightened and his step quickened at sight of Bess. Eagerly he stepped forward and clasped her extended hand.
“I am glad to see you have improved greatly in so short a time,” ventured Bess, in a low voice.
“Thanks; but to me the past weeks have seemed an eternity. Not a word, not a sign from the little girl I left so reluctantly.”
Bess felt like calling to Mrs. West as she passed the doorway,—she could not be alone with Mr. Davis.
“You came to see Mrs. West,” said Bess in a tentative way; “I’ll call her!” But as she stepped forward towards the door, her face lifted and lips parted ready to call, the man abruptly intervened, caught her to him and smothered the sound upon her lips. Again and again he kissed her till she had no breath to give voice to her anger.
“You—you—stop—how dare you frighten me so! You have no right to—to—” but tears choked her voice and she could only gaze at him with flashing eyes.
The man did not move nor offer any words. Slowly he put his hands in his pockets and looked at her with eyes that burned into her very soul and held her spell-bound. How handsome he looked,—so tall and large, health again glowing in his face and form. For a full moment thus he stood, immovable, immutable! Never for an instant did he lift his eyes from the girl’s! Now her eyelids gave a brief quiver, her lips parted in a soft sigh, and her hands fell listlessly by her side. Then he spoke, in a voice so low that it was scarcely audible, so tender that its caress seemed like music.
“Come here, dear!” Lifting one hand in an appealing gesture, he held it poised for a moment and then let it rest gently on a fluffy brown head, which moved slowly and irresolutely near to him. Lifting the girl’s face so that he could look directly into the eyes, he said: “Tell me—have I no right to love you, or to make you—make you love in return? Nothing seems good to me but you; you have my heart and soul to save or destroy; you—little girl—are the keeper of my happiness, my very existence. The miserable days without you have been unbearable; the long nights more miserable still. I love you—do you understand that—love you—I want you—and shall have you!” Again he grew fierce, and held the girl so firmly that he felt her struggle for breath. Slowly relaxing his arms and gently placing the girl before him he continued: “Kiss me now, Bess, of your own free will, and that will tell me that you love me.”
For a moment she stood silent, dumb. A spasmodic quiver shook her body and trembling eyelids covered her eyes. Her hands went to her heart as if trying to restore its beating, and suddenly she stepped back, flung out her chin, and in a voice almost uncontrollable with emotion said, “I’ll call—Mrs.—West—” and ran out of the room before her admirer could prevent.