I felt the sharp pain of a blow as the cane
snapped asunder on my body and I was upon him, pounding and smiting
with murder in my heart. Then the long white hand seized my collar and
whirled me aside with such incredible strength that I fell and lay for
a moment half-stunned as, without a glance towards me, he opened the
carriage door and imperiously motioned Diana to enter.
"Come, my goddess, let us fly!" said he, soft-voiced and smiling. But
as he approached her, she tossed aside her basket, stooped, and I saw
the evil glitter of her little knife; the gentleman merely laughed
softly and made deliberately towards her; then, as she crouched to
spring, I scrambled to my feet.
"Don't!" I cried. "Don't! Not you, Diana! Throw me your knife--leave
him to me--"
At this the gentleman paused to glance from Diana to me and back
again.
"Aha, Diana, is it?" said he. "You'll be worth the taming--another
time, chaste goddess! Venus give you to my arms some day! Here's for
your torn coat, my sorry Endymion!" Saying which, he tossed a guinea
to me and, stepping into the carriage, closed the door. The staring
groom mounted, the horses pranced, but, as the carriage moved off, I
snatched up the coin and, leaping forward, hurled it through the open
window into the gentleman's pale, smiling face.
"Damn you!" I panted. "God's curse on you--I'll see you dead--some
day!" And then the carriage was gone and I, gasping and trembling,
stood appalled at the wild passion of murderous hate that surged
within me.
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