"Drink it, my darling!" he said.

She made a quick gesture as of surprised protest. She did not raise her
head. It was as if an invisible hand were crushing her to the earth.

"Why don't you--kill me?" she said.

He laid his hand upon her bent head. "Because you are the salt of the
earth to me," he said; "because I worship you."

She caught the hand with a little sound of passionate endearment, and
laid her face down in it, her hot, quivering lips against his palm. "I
love you so!" she said. "I love you so!"

He pressed her face slowly upwards. But she resisted. "No, no! I
can't--meet--your--eyes."

"You need not be afraid," he said. "Once and for all, Puck, believe me
when I tell you that this thing shall never--can never--come between
us."

She caught her breath sharply; but still she refused to look up. "Then
you don't understand," she said. "You--you--can't understand
that--that--I was--his--his--" Her voice failed. She caught his hand in
both her own, pressing it hard over her face, writhing in mute shame
before him.

"Yes, I do understand," Merryon said, and his voice was very quiet, full
of a latent force that thrilled her magnetically. "I understand that
when you were still a child this brute took possession of you, broke you