unaffected with ardent emotion. If she granted him her lips they had
no fervour respondent to his own; she made a sport of it, forgot it
as soon as possible. Upon Hilliard's vehement nature this acted
provocatively; at times he was all but frenzied with the violence of
his sensual impulses. Yet Eve's control of him grew more assured the
less she granted of herself; a look, a motion of her lips, and he
drew apart, quivering but subdued. At one such moment he exclaimed:

"You had better not come here at all. I love you too insanely."

Eve looked at him, and silently began to shed tears. He implored her
pardon, prostrated himself, behaved in a manner that justified his
warning. But Eve stifled the serious drama of the situation, and
forced him to laugh. with her.

In these days architectural study made little way.

Patty Ringrose was coming for the Easter holidays. She would arrive
on Good Friday. "As the weather is so very bad still," wrote Eve to
Hilliard, "will you let us come to see you on Saturday? Sunday may
be better for an excursion of some sort."

And thus it was arranged. Hilliard made ready his room to receive
the fair visitors, who would come at about eleven in the morning. As
usual nowadays, he felt discontented, but, after all, Patty's
influence might be a help to him, as it had been in worse straits.



CHAPTER XXI