The colour rushed in vivid scarlet to her temples.  She met his eyes for one fleeting second then closed her own with a gasp and a blind effort to escape that was instantly quelled.  For he kissed her—­he kissed her—­pressing his lips to hers closely and ever more closely, as a man consumed with thirst draining the cup to the last precious drop.

When he let her go, she was burning, quivering, tingling from head to foot as if an electric current were coursing through and through her.  And the citadel had fallen.  She made no further attempt to keep him out.

But he did not kiss her a second time.  He only held her against his heart.  “Ah, Juliet—­Juliet!” he said, and she felt the deep quiver of his words.  “I’ve got you—­now!  You are mine.”

She was panting, wordless, thankful to avail herself of the shelter he offered.  She leaned against him for many seconds in palpitating silence.

For so long indeed was she silent that in the end misgiving pierced him and he felt for the downcast face.  But in a moment she reached up and took his hand in hers, restraining him.

“Not again!” she whispered.  “Please not again!”

“All right.  I won’t,” he said.  “Not yet anyhow.  But speak to me!  Tell me it’s all right!  You’re not frightened?”

“I am—­a little,” she confessed.

“Not at me!  Juliet!”

“No, not at you.  At least,” she laughed unsteadily.  “I’m not quite sure.  You—­you—­I think you must let me go for a minute—­to get back my balance.”

“Must I?” he said.

She lifted the hand she had taken and laid it against her cheek.  “I’ve got—­a good deal to say to you, Dick,” she said.  “You’ve taken me so completely by storm.  Please be generous now!  Please let me have—­the honours of war!”

“My dear!” he said.

He let her go with the words, and she clasped her hands about her knees and looked out to sea.  She was still trembling a little, but as he sat beside her in unbroken silence she grew gradually calmer, and presently she spoke without any apparent difficulty.

“You’ve taken a good deal for granted, Dick, haven’t you?  You don’t know me very well.”

“Don’t I?” he said.

“No.  You’ve been—­dreadfully headlong all through.”  She smiled faintly, with a touch of sadness.  “You’ve skipped all the usual preliminaries—­which isn’t always wise.  Don’t you teach your boys to look before they leap?”

“When there’s time,” he said.  “But you know, dear, you gave the word for—­the final plunge.”

She nodded slowly once or twice.  “Yes.  But I didn’t expect quite—­quite—­Well, never mind what I expected!  The fact remains, we haven’t known each other long enough.  No, I know we can’t go back now and begin again.  But, Dick, I want you—­and it’s for your sake as much as for my own—­I want you, please, to be very patient.  Will you?  May I count on that?”

He put out his hand to her and gently touched her shoulder.  “Don’t talk to me like a slave appealing to a sultan!” he said.