第60部分(第7/7 頁)

ith　all　his　energy；　to　enclose　her；　to　have

her。　And　always　she　was　burning　and　brilliant　and　hard　as　salt；

and　deadly。　Yet　obstinately；　all　his　flesh　burning　and

corroding；　as　if　he　were　invaded　by　some　consuming；　scathing

poison；　still　he　persisted；　thinking　at　last　he　might　overe

her。　Even；　in　his　frenzy；　he　sought　for　her　mouth　with　his

mouth；　though　it　was　like　putting　his　face　into　some　awful

death。　She　yielded　to　him；　and　he　pressed　himself　upon　her　in

extremity；　his　soul　groaning　over　and　over：

〃Let　me　e……let　me　e。〃

She　took　him　in　the　kiss；　hard　her　kiss　seized　upon　him；　hard

and　fierce　and　burning　corrosive　as　the　moonlight。　She　seemed　to

be　destroying　him。　He　was　reeling；　summoning　all　his　strength　to

keep　his　kiss　upon　her；　to　keep　himself　in　the　kiss。

But　hard　and　fierce　she　had　fastened　upon　him；　cold　as　the

moon　and　burning　as　a　fierce　salt。　Till　gradually　his　warm；　soft

iron　yielded；　yielded；　and　she　was　there　fierce；　corrosive；

seething　with　his　destruction；　seething　like　some　cruel；

corrosive　salt　around　the　last　substance　of　his　being；

destroying　him；　destroying　him　in　the　kiss。　And　her　soul

crystallized　with　triumph；　and　his　soul　was　dissolved　with　agony

and　annihilation。　So　she　held　him　there；　the　victim；　consumed；

annihilated。　She　had　triumphed：　he　was　not　any　more。

Gradually　she　began　to　e　to　herself。　Gradually　a　sort　of

daytime　consciousness　came　back　to　her。　Suddenly　the　night　was

struck　back　into　its　old；　accustomed；　mild　reality。　Grad