The Innocent Adventuress

to marry me," he re

d in Maria Angelina's ears. An agh

y it-it was understood, was

her stricken consciousness. But the cheeks that had

ry you-because I kissed you?" And with that dreadful hostile grim

of their relation? Did he believe she was one to whom men acted li

on in the woods-what had he meant by

ured that he would take care of her. . . . Had he meant nothing by it, nothi

s scandal she would be too conspicuous to make it agreeable to carry out

had he kissed he

ook so that the words dropped almost

you must know that no

hould have to beseech. Where was his ma

say you're trying to make me marry y

e girl struggl

uld do, Signor. Even if

ce brok

on't think you get me. It isn't up to me to do any marrying, if that's honestly what's worrying you. And I'm

d the moon rise with his arm about her, promising her his protection. . . . Wildly she wis

to him but the panic of

to go another way, but no, you were sure, you told me to trust to you. And then you pretended to care for me-do you think I would have tolerated your arm about me for one instant if I had not believed it was fore

ol it or the tears that ran down her face in the

one last insistence, "O

ut this beats the Dutch. I don't know how much of this talk you mean but I'll tell you right now, young lady, nobody c

-you dare

ing to think the worse of you because you got lost with me-and if

It seemed to her that

through the darkness out of which a

dvised brusquely. "Hurry in out of the wet. That thing's

ded creature crawling to shelter Maria Angelina

heerful air. "Wrap yourself up as

hese words came. She turned and s

," she found her voice quickly

resh amazement. "Judas, where do you th

not in he

sudden fire. "You must be mad,

I'm going to stay"-he jerked hi

You are a man. I

ment he quoted, "'Good-night, Miss Middleton, said I, as I buttoned her carefully into her tent and went out to sleep upon

gasp from

same roof with you-it's a damn necessity. I'm not going to hold hands and I'm not going to kiss you. If you've got any dra

, stay

to me. You're absolutely wrong in the head. Be s

sure me that you will not kiss me, Signor. That will not happen again." Mari

is comfort at this last cost of her pride. . . . But no man, she thought tragi

her hands outstretch

lly of matching her strength against his withheld her, but some flam

ry intent and collected she stepp

arer the door, and as he stumbled and fumbled with

e clearing, through a thic

r swiftness and the speed of her desperation. Brambles meant nothing to her, nor the thickets nor br

a call-very faint. It came from the wrong direction. She had turned and doub

her pounding heart and catch her gasping breath, and then she st

e were quick, very quick, she might reach the Lodge before it was too disastrously late. She might meet a s

, they might not take that trouble. They

and concerned that he would be searching. There would be a cha

en Johnny draw her

d she had been in that new American freedom! Mamma had warned her-

ut finding nothing but rough wilderness. She knew no landmarks to

er and blacker. There were occasional gusts of rain. The wind

yes. Thunder followed almost instantly, great cra

plinters must fall upon her. It

, heavy as lead, drenching her to the skin. Her hair had streamed loose and was plastered about her face, her

, what then? What would they think of her, w

f glad fortune, who had thought the world a fairy tale and believed that she had found

And the scandal would travel with her, wh

ted upon her! They had loo

Julietta's hopes would be ruined. . . . No one would want a Santonini. . . . Lucia would be

ppear, hide in some

lier in the evening by her belief in Johnny's devotion were upon her now like a pack of wolves. She wished that she could di

n that one they had followed that afterno

every step must be her last. There was no underbrush to struggle with now, for she ha

ut she was too wet and too

, she made no effort to rise, but lay prostrate, her cheek upon her outflung

ad, she thought