All the goddesses, did we say?
No, but one goddess, the most beautiful of them all.

His heart beat violently against his ribs, and he felt that he was almost man enough for anything.

Instinctively his hand went again to his waistcoat pocket.
"'You shan't look at your watch so often,' said she, putting up her delicate hand and stopping his.

'There, I'll look at it for you.

It's only just two, and you needn't go to your office for this hour;' and as she squeezed it back into his pocket, he felt her fingers pressing against his heart, and felt her hair--done all _a l'imperatrice_--in sweet contact with his cheek.