"
"Yes," I said again, and continued to smooth her forehead.
"He has sentiment, too--he is not matter-of-fact and brutal--and oh, you
should see him on a horse!--he is too, too beautiful." She stretched out
her arms in a movement of weariness that was pathetic and touched me.
"You have known him a long, long time?" I said, gently.
"Perhaps five years, but only casually until this season. I was busy with
some one else before. I have played with so many." Then she roused
herself up. "But Robert is the only one who has never made love to me.
Always dear and sweet, and treating me like a queen, as if I were too high
for that, and having his own way, and not caring a pin for any one's
opinion. And I have wanted him to make love to me often. But now I realize
it is no use. Only, you sha'n't have him, snake-girl! I told him as we
were going to the opera you were as cold as ice, and were playing with
Christopher, and I am going to take him down to Northumberland with me
to-morrow out of your way. He shall be my devoted friend, at any rate. You
would break his heart, and I shall still hold you to your promise."
I said nothing.
"Do you hear? I say: _You_ would break his heart. He would be only capable
of loving straight to the end. The kind of love any other woman would die
for--but--you--You are Carmen.
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