He laughed triumphantly within him at the difference.

They had run into corners and screamed and struggled, and held up ineffectual hands.

And when his lips did reach their goal, it was generally upon the bridge of a nose or a tip of an ear.

He could not remember any especial pleasure accompanying the rite.
But this! The bolt of an arbalast could not have given him a more instant or tremendous shock.

His nerves still quivered responsive to the tremulous yielding of the lips he had touched for a moment in the dark of the doorway.