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She was leaning over the bed, with one leg slightly raised,
smoothing the sheet. Pulling herself up, she answered:
"No. Now that I'm in the house I feel safer."
"And are you afraid of me?"
"I never was afraid of you."
Giacomo walked around the bed and took her into his arms.
Standing beside the head of the bed, they exchanged a kiss. Giacomo
undid the sash of Simona's dressing gown and it slipped down over
her shoulders and hips to the floor. But Simona did not interrupt the
kiss;
indeed she prolonged it with an awkward
eagerne~,
betrayed by
her characteristic way of blowing through her nose. With sudden
decisiveness, Giacomo let her go.
"Lie down, will you?" he said, hurriedly taking off his clothes.
Simona hesitated and then lay down on the bed. Giacomo was
aware of being impelled by strictly animal feelings, as if he were not
in a house, but in a dark cave! yes, as if he were a primitive man,
moved by carnal appetite alone. Yet it was with a certain
tenderne~
that he lay down beside his wife. She was facing the wall, but
brusquely she turned around and pressed herself against him, snug–
gling into his arms. For a few minutes they lay there, motionless, then
Giacomo began chastely and gently to caress her. He wanted to
po~ess
her on her own virginal terms, without bringing any of his
masculine experience into play. His light
care~es
and the words he
whispered through her hair into one ear were intended to calm her
fears and lead her almost insensibly to give herself to him. He was
not in a hurry and it seemed to him that his new policy of consider–
ation and patience would win for him what his haste of the previous
evening had failed to obtain. And by degrees he had the impression
that, in response to his words and caresses, she was yielding not only
her body but also that inward part of her which had resisted him
heretofore. Simona did not speak, but her breathing grew gradually
heavier. All of a sudden, almost involuntarily, he gave way to a
natural impulse and attempted to take her. Under the impact of
his body Simona seemed at first to surrender, then brusquely she
rebelled and struggled to free herself. With a mixture of anger and
submission she whispered:
"I can't do it! I can't!"
Giacomo refused to heed her change of heart and tried to
prevail over her by force. She defended herself with her feet and
