'And you enjoy the adventure,' she said.
'Of course, I enjoy the adventure. But there is more in it than that,' he said, shaking his head; 'there is conviction, burnt into me. Fanatical. Whoever is ready to pay the ultimate price for his belief, has a right to that belief. Heaven preserve me,' he cried, showing his fist, 'from growing like father, or Malteios, or Stavridis. Eve, you understand.'
She murmured again,—
'And what am I? What part have I got in this world of yours?'
Again he did not appear to hear her, but making an effort to get up, he said,—
'I promised to meet Tsantilas, and I must go,' but she pressed her hands on his shoulders and held him down.
'Stay a little longer. I want to talk to you.'
Kneeling there, he saw at last that her mouth was very resolute and her eyes full of a desperate decision. She sat forward in her chair, so close to him that he felt the warmth of her body, and saw that at the base of her throat a little pulse was beating quickly.
'What is it, Eve?'
'This,' she said, 'that if I let you go I may never see you again. How much time have you?'