"If any one rings," said he to Charlotte, "don't open the door. No
matter what may be said or done, don't open the door!"
On hearing Noel's voice, Juliette ran out to meet him. He pushed her
gently into the salon, and followed, closing the door.
There for the first time she saw his face.
He was so changed; his look was so haggard that she could not keep from
crying out, "What is the matter?"
Noel made no reply; he advanced towards her and took her hand.
"Juliette," he demanded in a hollow voice, fastening his flashing eyes
upon her,--"Juliette, be sincere; do you love me?"
She instinctively felt that something dreadful had occurred: she
seemed to breathe an atmosphere of evil; but she, as usual, affected
indifference.
"You ill-natured fellow," she replied, pouting her lips most
provokingly, "do you deserve--"
"Oh, enough!" broke in Noel, stamping his feet fiercely. "Answer me," he
continued, bruising her pretty hands in his grasp, "yes, or no,--do you
love me?"
A hundred times had she played with her lover's anger, delighting to
excite him into a fury, to enjoy the pleasure of appeasing him with a
word; but she had never seen him like this before.
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