Approaching her with factitious ease, he kissed her through her
veil, which she then lifted with an impulsive movement, and he
kissed her again, more ardently, perceiving that her ardour was
exceeding his. This was the first time they had been alone
together since her flight from Axe. And yet, with his worldly
experience, he was naive enough to be surprised that he could not
put all the heat of passion into his embrace, and he wondered why
he was not thrilled at the contact with her! However, the powerful
clinging of her lips somewhat startled his senses, and also
delighted him by its silent promise. He could smell the stuff of
her veil, the sarsenet of her bodice, and, as it were wrapped in
these odours as her body was wrapped in its clothes, the faint
fleshly perfume of her body itself. Her face, viewed so close that
he could see the almost imperceptible down on those fruit-like
cheeks, was astonishingly beautiful; the dark eyes were
exquisitely misted; and he could feel the secret loyalty of her
soul ascending to him. She was very slightly taller than her
lover; but somehow she hung from him, her body curved backwards,
and her bosom pressed against his, so that instead of looking up
at her gaze he looked down at it.
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