"Why do you not take off your hat, dear?" said Mirko. "It will be so much cosier if you take off your hat. We will pretend we are on our honeymoon.--Come! let us be quite mad and gay--remember it is Carnival!"
The words suited her mood; suddenly she felt reckless, she smiled her answer.
"Wait here a minute," said Mirko and he bounded down the stair. Ragna quickly unpinned her hat, and laid it on the dressing table, she fluffed up her hair where it had been crushed, and went back to the window, watching with amused sympathy the merry party below. Her spirits had recovered from the depression of a few moments since, she felt daring, buoyed up by a strange sensation of irresponsibility--the spring was having its effect on her also.
Presently Mirko returned, followed by the bouncing Maria who set the table still humming her song. Ragna caught the words.
"_E se vuoi la robba mia, è certo che caro la devi pagar!_"
"Si, signora," said Maria showing her even white teeth in a broad smile.--"It is sung all through Ciociaria and everywhere!" She ran down to the kitchen and reappeared bearing a large bowl of steaming _gnocchi_ and two cobwebby bottles of gold-coloured wine.
"Come," said Mirko, "your Ladyship is served."
Ragna laughingly took her place at the table and they both fell to with healthy appetites. Mirko saw that Ragna's glass was kept replenished with the wine. "_Proprio di dietro i fagotti_," the hostess had declared it. After the gnocchi came stewed chicken and potatoes, then the famous _frittata_ with artichokes and a salad, then cheese, and finally, Maria having asked if the Signori wished anything more, retired, closing the door after her.
The wine was singing in Ragna's ears, and her face was flushed, it seemed to her that she was in a dream in which she had become two distinct persons,--one a long way off, watching as at a play, what the other Ragna did. Mirko rose from his chair and led her to the couch where he seated himself beside her. He drew her head down on his shoulder and holding her close to him murmured his love in her ear. His nearness, his kisses and the low, passionate vibration of his voice overpowered her; she felt all power of resistance slip from her, his personality, his desire dominated her entirely; her lips parted, she closed her eyes, her senses swam. As in a dream, his lips found hers, she felt the heat of his breath scorching her face, a wild flame surged through her veins,--a brief almost unconscious struggle and she lay unresisting in his arms.