"I beg your pardon," I said; "forgive me." The other
ladies looked at one another and moved away, so as not to humiliate me.
Just at that moment someone came quickly over towards us. All could see
her--it was Edwarda. She came straight to me. She said something, and
threw her arms round my neck; clasped her arms round my neck and kissed
me again and again on the lips. Each time she said something, but I did
not hear what it was. I could not understand it all; my heart stood
still; I had only a feeling of her burning look. Then she slipped away
from me; her little breast beat up and down. She stood there still, with
her brown face and brown neck, tall and slender, with flashing eyes,
altogether heedless. They were all looking at her. For the second time I
was fascinated by her dark eyebrows, that curved high up into her
forehead.
But, Heavens--the girl had kissed me openly in sight of them all!
"What is it, Edwarda?" I asked, and I could hear my blood beating; hear
it as it were from down in my throat, so that I could not speak
distinctly.
"Nothing," she answered. "Only--that I wanted to. It doesn't matter."
I took off my cap and brushed back my hair mechanically as I stood
looking at her. "Doesn't matter...?"
Herr Mack was saying something, a good way off; we could not hear his
words from where we were.
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