Effie! What the devil are you up to?

Her husband’s voice, chopping through her mood of terrified rapture, made her heart jump like a startled cat, yet by some miracle of feminine self-control her body did not show a tremor. Dear God, she thought, he mustn’t see it. It’s so beautiful, and he always kills beauty.

I’m just looking at the Moon, she said listlessly. It’s green.

Mustn’t, mustn’t see it. And now, with luck, he wouldn’t. For the face, as if it also heard and sensed the menace in the voice, was moving back from the window’s glow into the outside dark, but slowly, reluctantly, and still faunlike, pleading, cajoling, tempting, and incredibly beautiful.

Close the shutters at once, you little fool, and come away from the window!

Green as a beer bottle, she went on dreamily, green as emeralds, green as leaves with sunshine striking through them and green grass to lie on. She couldn’t help saying those last words. They were her token to the face, even though it couldn’t hear.

Effie!