His other hand was pressed upon her
forehead, and her tears had ceased. She could not remember that he had
spoken a single word since he had taken her into his arms, neither had he
kissed her, but all her fear of him was gone.
Through the open port-hole there came to her the swish of water, and she
heard the throb and roar of the engines like the sound of a distant train
in a tunnel. Moved by a deep impulse that came straight from her soul,
she took the hand that lay upon her brow and drew it downwards first to
her lips, holding it there with closed eyes while she kissed it, then
softly to her heart while she turned her eyes to his.
"Oh, Dick," she said, "are you sure--are you quite sure--that--that--I am
worth keeping?"
"I am quite sure I am going to keep you," he answered very steadily.
Her two hands closed fast upon his. "Not--not as a prisoner?" she
whispered, wanly smiling.
"Yes, a prisoner," he said, not without a certain grimness, "that is,
until you have learnt your lesson."
"What lesson?" she asked him wonderingly.
"That you can't do without me," he said, a note of challenge in
his voice.
Something in his look hurt her.
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