"But mind you hold him off, and do not let him caress you for an hour
at least. One kiss and one only."
"One!" the girl repeated, with contempt. "How ungenerous are the old!"
"Hard to count are a lover's kisses," her mother answered, with a sigh.
"But you can use them up in a day. Really, you can use them up all in
a day."
"A day full of kisses! Oh, heart of me! Think of it!" said the
beautiful girl, covering her face a moment. "I will not have the
yellow cushions," she added, quickly. "Here, take these and bring me
two violet ones, and that cushion of gauze filled with rose leaves. I
will have that in my lap when we are sitting here. Now what do you
think of the colors?" she demanded.
"Beautiful! And best of all that in your cheeks. I doubt not he will
worship you."
"Or he is no kind of a man," said Arria, thoughtfully. "Oh, son of
Varro! come, I am waiting. If he takes me in his arms, what shall I
do?"
"Thrust him aside--tell him that you do not like it."
"And what shall I do if he does not?"
"Bid him go at once.
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