She came over to him and put her hand on his shoulder, looking down at him with strange golden-lighted eyes, very tender, but with a curious devilish look lurking underneath.

`Say you love me, say "my love" to me,' she pleaded

He looked back into her eyes, and saw. His face flickered with sardonic comprehension.

`I love you right enough,' he said, grimly. `But I want it to be something else.'

`But why? But why?' she insisted, bending her wonderful luminous face to him. `Why isn't it enough?'

`Because we can go one better,' he said, putting his arms round her.

`No, we can't,' she said, in a strong, voluptuous voice of yielding. `We can only love each other. Say "my love" to me, say it, say it.'

She put her arms round his neck. He enfolded her, and kissed her subtly, murmuring in a subtle voice of love, and irony, and submission:

`Yes, -- my love, yes, -- my love. Let love be enough then. I love you then -- I love you. I'm bored by the rest.'

`Yes,' she murmured, nestling very sweet and close to him.