You are sweet and gentle only so long as you have your own way." "No, indeed," cried Melissa, and her eyes filled with tears.

"I only look further than from one hour to the next.

If I should sacrifice what I think right, merely to come and go at my own will, I should soon be not only miserable myself, but the object of your contempt." Overcome by irresistible distress, she broke into loud sobs; but Caracalla, with a furious stamp of his foot, exclaimed: "No tears! I can not, I will not see you weep.

Can any harm come to you?
Nothing but good; nothing but the best of happiness do I propose for you.

By Apollo and Zeus, that is the truth! Till now you have been unlike other women, but when you behave like them, you shall--I swear it--you shall feel which of us two is the stronger!" He roughly snatched her hand away from her face and thereby achieved his end, for her indignation at being thus touched by a man's brutal hand gave Melissa strength to suppress her sobs.