"
He had clasped the hand that rested on his sleeve and, as he pressed
it to his heart, his other arm stole over her shoulders and drew her
close to his triumphant body. For an instant she resisted, and then
relaxed into complete submission. Her head sank upon his shoulder.
"Oh!" she sighed, and there was wonder, joy--even perplexity, in the
tremulous sign of capitulation. "Oh," came softly from her parted lips
again at the end of the first long, passionate kiss.
CHAPTER XXI
THE END IN SIGHT
Barnes, soaring beyond all previous heights of exaltation, ranged
dizzily between "front" and "back" at the Grand Opera House that
evening. He was supposed to remain "out front" until the curtain went
up on the second act. But the presence of the Countess in Miss
Thackeray's barren, sordid little dressing-room rendered it
exceedingly difficult for him to remain in any fixed spot for more
than five minutes at a stretch. He was in the "wings" with her,
whispering in her delighted ear; in the dressing-room, listening to
her soft words of encouragement to the excited leading-lady; on the
narrow stairs leading up to the stage, assisting her to mount them,--
and not in the least minding the narrowness; out in front for a jiffy,
and then back again; and all the time he was dreading the moment when
he would awake and find it all a dream.
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