Part 32 (2/2)
”'You cannot enter in,' said St. Peter, 'for you bear on your breast the mark of sinful l.u.s.t. 'But G.o.d heard it from His throne, and cried, 'Open and let her in!' And G.o.d looked at the girl's breast, and she did not flinch. 'You should know better,' He said to St. Peter reproachfully. 'Here is one that was faithful to her first love....
Enter in, My child.'”
Both were silent. A little blue flame rose from the embers on the hearth.
”Thanks, Clematis,” whispered Olof, and kissed her hands that lay hot in his own. ”I know what you meant. And how prettily you said it!”
”Are you sure you knew what I meant?” she asked. ”I hadn't finished, you know....”
”What--not finished yet?”
”No!”
She drew her hands away, and as if summing up all she had said before, she clasped his knees and looked imploringly into his eyes.
”Give me that mark!”
Olof s.h.i.+vered--waves of heat and cold seemed pa.s.sing through his body.
”No, no--my love! You must not ask that of me--it is more than I can do,” he went on bitterly.
”You can, if you only will. Love can do all things.”
”But now--after what you have said....”
”But you said yourself it was so pretty.”
”Yes--there is a lovely thought in it--but the end was too horrible--you know what I mean.”
”That was the loveliest of all. Oh, won't you do what I ask?” Her lips trembled, and she looked at him entreatingly.
Olof sighed deeply; drops of sweat stood out on his forehead. ”How can I refuse you anything? But--but I could never forget it if I did, and....”
”Oh ... I almost thought that was how it would be. You cannot understand--for you are not me. But something I must have!” she went on pa.s.sionately. ”I cannot live without. Look!” She drew from her breast a little case of blue silk, hung by a red cord round her neck, ”See--it just reaches to there!”
”It's very pretty,” said Olof in relief, taking the case in his hand.”
And you want something to put in it?”
”Yes.”
”A lock of hair or something? Are you as childish as all that?”
”No--not as childish as all that.”
”A flower, then--or what?”
”No, nothing like that.”
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