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Literary AdventuresThis page will take you into pieces of literature that are carefully selected for their great content at the literary, scientific, or philosophical level. A short selection will be presented in full. A long one will be divided into sections that will be refreshed regularly. Emphasis and highlights are mostly ours, not made by the original author. Here is our current selection: Anna the Adventuress (1904) by E. Phillips OppenheimChapter 20. Anna's Surrender" Anna nodded, and made a careful selection from a dish of quails. " " " He sighed. " " So they talked on whilst supper was served, falling easily into the spirit of the place, and yet both of them conscious of some new thing underlying the gaiety of their tongues and manner. Anna, in her strange striking way, was radiantly beautiful. Without a single ornament about her neck, or hair, wearing the plainest of black gowns, out of which her shoulders shone gleaming white, she was easily the most noticeable and the most distinguished-looking woman in the room. Tonight there seemed to be a new brilliancy in her eyes, a deeper quality in her tone. She was herself conscious of a recklessness of spirits almost hysterical. Perhaps, after all, the others were right. Perhaps she had found this new thing in life, the thing wonderful. The terrors and anxieties of the last few months seemed to have fallen from her, to have passed away like an ugly dream, dismissed with a shudder even from the memory. An acute sense of living was in her veins, even the taste of her wine seemed magical. Ennison too, always handsome and debonnair, seemed transported out of his calm self. His tongue was more ready, his wit more keen than usual. He said daring things with a grace which made them irresistible, his eyes flashed back upon her some eloquent but silent appreciation of the change in her manner towards him. And then there came for both of them at least a temporary awakening. It was he who saw them first coming down the room--Annabel in a wonderful white satin gown in front, and Sir John stiff, unbending, disapproving, bringing up the rear. He bent over to Anna at once. "It is your sister and her husband," he said. " Annabel saw Ennison first, and noticing his single companion calmly ignored him. Then making a pretence of stooping to rearrange her flowing train, she glanced at Anna, and half stopped in her progress down the room. Sir John followed her gaze, and also saw them. His face clouded with anger. It was after all a momentary affair. Annabel passed on with a strained nod to her sister, and Sir John's bow was a miracle of icy displeasure. They vanished through the doorway. Anna and her escort exchanged glances. Almost simultaneously they burst out laughing. " " " " "Make love to a single woman." " Her eyes were lit with humour. To have spoken lightly on such a subject a few hours ago would have seemed incredible. " The lights were lowered, and an attentive waiter hovered round Anna's cloak. They left the room amongst the last, and Ennison had almost to elbow his way through a group of acquaintances who had all some pretext for detaining him, to which he absolutely refused to listen. They entered a hansom and turned on to the Embankment. The two great hotels on their right were still ablaze with lights. On their left the river, with its gloomy pile of buildings on the opposite side, and a huge revolving advertisement throwing its strange reflection upon the black water. A fresh cool breeze blew in their faces. Anna leaned back with half closed eyes. " His fingers closed upon her hand. She yielded it without protest, as though unconsciously. Not a word passed between them. It seemed to him that speech would be an anticlimax. He paid the cab, and turned to follow her. She passed inside and upstairs without a word. In her little sitting-room she turned on the electric light and looked around half fearfully. " "If he has a key," Ennison said, " "I had bolts fitted on the doors yesterday," she answered. " It was certain that he was not there. Anna came back into the sitting-room with a little sigh of relief. " " " A curious silence ensued. Anna was sitting before the fire a little distance from him--Ennison himself remained standing. Some shadow of reserve seemed to have crept up between them. She laughed nervously, but kept her eyes averted. "It is strange that we should have met Annabel," she said. " He was very indifferent. In fact he was thinking of other things. " She shook her head. " "Sir John is an ass!" he declared. "He is Annabel's husband," she reminded him. "Annabel!" He looked at her thoughtfully. " " " "She has changed a good deal," Anna admitted. " She seemed unmoved, but she did not look at him. " " Then she looked up at him with frightened eyes. " " She rose up. "I forbid it!" she said firmly. They were standing face to face now upon the hearthrug. She was very pale, and there was a look of fear in her eyes. " " " He was silent. He felt his heart beat faster and faster--his self-restraint slipping away. After all, what did it matter?--it or anything else in the world? She was within reach of his arms, beautiful, compelling, herself as it seemed suddenly conscious of the light which was burning in his eyes. A quick flush stained her cheeks. She put out her hands to avoid his embrace. "No!" she exclaimed. "You must not. It is impossible." His arms were around her. He only laughed his defiance. "I will make it possible," he cried. "I will make all things possible." Anna was bewildered. She did not know herself. Only she was conscious of an unfamiliar and wonderful emotion. She gave her lips to his without resistance. All her protests seemed stifled before she could find words to utter them. With a little sigh of happiness she accepted this new thing. |
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