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THE BOND
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"No. Come here, I tell you."

He approached with dignity, and sat down on the extreme edge of the bed.

"Well, hurry up, I'm cold."

His tone was aggressive, but Teresa read beneath it. She reached up and put one bare arm round his neck, and murmured:

"Silly old thing!"

He made an effort to hold his position. "You won't do a thing I ask you to! You won't even stop reading, though you're spoiling your eyes. … You don't care anything about me, that's the real truth! If you did, you——"

She drew his head down and kissed him.

"Idiot!" she murmured.

His arms went round her, caught her up, held her close.

"How I love you!" he said angrily.