"What can that mean?"

"Yet there's a horrible joy in it," added Haunte, with a sickly
smile.

He put his hand on the woman's shoulder. She awoke softly, glanced
up at them, smiled, and then resumed eating her fruit. Maskull did
not imagine that she had intelligence enough to speak. Haunte
suddenly dropped on his knees, and kissed her lips.

She did not repulse him. During the continuance of the kiss, Maskull
noticed with a shock that her face was altering. The features
emerged from their indistinctness and became human, and almost
powerful. The smile faded, a scowl took its place. She thrust
Haunte away, rose to her feet, and stared beneath bent brows at the
three men, each one in turn. Maskull came last; his face she studied
for quite a long time, but nothing indicated what she thought.

Meanwhile Haunte again approached her, staggering and grinning. She
suffered him quietly; but the instant lips met lips the second time,
he fell backward with a startled cry, as though he had come in
contact with an electric wire. The back of his head struck the
ground, and he lay there motionless.

Corpang sprang forward to his assistance. But, when he saw what had
happened, he left him where he was.

"Maskull, come here quickly!"