"My darling sweet one," he murmured, drawing her to him, passion flaming
once more. "I could have cried madly"--and he quoted in Greek:
/$
"Wilt them fly me and deny me?
By thine own joy I vow,
By the grape upon the bough,
Thou shalt seek me in the midnight, thou shalt love me even now."
$/
Mr. Carlyon had not restricted Halcyone's reading: she knew it was from
the "Bacchae" of Euripides, and answered:
"Ah, yes, and, you see, I have sought you in the midnight, and I am
here, and I love you--even now!"
After that, for a while they both seemed to fall into a dream of bliss.
They spoke not, they just sat close together, his arms encircling her,
her head upon his breast; and thus they watched the first precursors of
dawn streak the sky and, looking up, found the stars had faded.
Halcyone started to her feet.
"Ah! I must go, dear lover," she said, "though it will only be for some
few hours."
But John Derringham held her two hands, detaining her.
"I will make all the arrangements in these next few days," he said. "I
am going to Wendover for Whitsuntide.
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