midnight
I said to my mother , ` I do not like men , I do not want them ; what shall I do ? ' And my mother said , ` There is no hurry , my child ; we will wait till a rich Sahib comes . ' But you are not a man , you must be a god , you are so beautiful ; and I am the slave of the Sahib , for ever and ever . '' She looked up at him , great lights seemed to have been lighted in the midnight pools of her eyes , the curved lips parted a little , showing the perfect , even teeth ; the rounded , warm-hued cheeks glowed ; the lids of her eyes lifted as those of a person looking out into a new world . Hamilton stood looking at her , and two great seas of conflicting emotions swept into his brain , and under their tumult he remained irresolute . Mere instincts and nature , the common impulse of the male to take his pleasure whenever offered , prompted him to draw her to his breast and let her learn the great joy of life in his arms ; but some higher feeling held him back : the knowledge that the first way in which a woman learns these things colours her whole after estimation of them , restrained him . Here he saw , suddenly , there was new ground for Love to build himself a habitation upon .