"This room is charming," said she, admiring the sky-blue hangings
looped with pearls.
"All here is love and delight!" said the Baron, with deep emotion.
In the mysterious light which prevailed he looked at the Countess, and
detected on her gently agitated face an expression of uneasiness,
modesty, and eagerness which enchanted him. The young lady smiled, and
this smile seemed to put an end to the struggle of feeling surging in
her heart; in the most insinuating way she took her adorer's left
hand, and drew from his finger the ring on which she had fixed her
eyes.
"What a fine diamond!" she exclaimed in the artless tone of a young
girl betraying the incitement of a first temptation.
Martial, troubled by the Countess' involuntary but intoxicating touch,
like a caress, as she drew off the ring, looked at her with eyes as
glittering as the gem.
"Wear it," he said, "in memory of this hour, and for the love of----"
She was looking at him with such rapture that he did not end the
sentence; he kissed her hand.
"You give it me?" she said, looking much astonished.
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