“You must love me,” she said, “you must love me because I love you so. Will you not love me, dear? I have waited so long for you!”
The soft words vibrated in his sleeping ear but drew forth neither acknowledgment nor response. Like a marble statue he stood still, and she leaned upon his shoulder.
“Do you not hear me?” she cried in a more passionate tone. “Do you not understand me? Why is it that your love is so hard to win? Look at me! Might not any man be proud to love me? Am I not beautiful enough for you? And yet I know that I am fair. Or are you ashamed because people call me a witch? Why then I will never be one again, for your sake! What do I care for it all? Can it be anything to me--can anything have worth that stands between me and you? Ah, love--be not so very hard!”
The Wanderer did not move. His face was as calm as a sculptured stone.
“Do you despise me for loving you?” she asked again, with a sudden flush.
“No. I do not despise you.” Something in her tone had pierced through his stupor and had found an answer. She started at the sound of his voice. It was as though he had been awake and had known the weight of what she had been saying, and her anger rose at the cold reply.
“No--you do not despise me, and you never shall!” she exclaimed passionately. “You shall love me, as I love you--I will it, with all my will! We are created to be all, one to the other, and you shall not break through the destiny of love. Love me, as I love you--love me with all your heart, love me with all your mind, love me with all your soul, love me as man never loved woman since the world began! I will it, I command it--it shall be as I say--you dare not disobey me--you cannot if you would.”
She paused, but this time no answer came. There was not even a contraction of the stony features.
“Then understand and answer me,” she said.
“You must. You shall. I will have it so. You cannot resist my will, and I will it with all my might. You have no will--you are mine, your body, your soul, and your thoughts, and you must love me with them all from now until you die--until you die,” she repeated fiercely.
Again he was silent. She felt that she had no hold upon his heart or mind, seeing that he was not even disturbed by her repeated efforts.