Page:Des Grieux, The Prelude to Teleny.djvu/49

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.

She allowed herself to be led away, like a soulless body, or a child having no will of her own. Having arrived at the opening of the tent, he made her crawl in after him; once inside he lifted her up and kissed her again rapturously.

"You love me," said he, "do you not?"

"Yes," quoth she, absently.

"And you are glad to come to me?"

"Yes; did you not call me?"

"You only came because I called you?"

"Yes."

The young man seemed astonished at the the power he had over her; for he believed that it was her own lust more than his own magnetic craft that had brought her out; he little knew that a fortuitous concourse of circumstances had helped and abetted him, for his spell a few days later might have been almost powerless.

"And had I not called you, should you have come?"

"No."

"What were you doing when you heard my voice?"

41