The Kiss

by Kate Chopin


It was not yet dark outdoors, but inside with the curtains closed and the fire sending out an uncertain light, the room was full of deep shadows.

Brantain sat in one of these shadows; it slowly covered him and he did not mind. The semi-darkness gave him courage to keep his eyes locked on the girl who sat in the firelight.

She was very handsome, with the fine, rich colour of the healthy brown-haired type of girl. She was quite relaxed, as she lazily held the cat that slept on her lap, and she occasionally sent a slow look into the shadow where Brantain sat. They were talking quietly about unimportant things which were not the same things they were thinking of. She knew that he loved her – an open, loud man without enough intelligence to hide his feelings. For the past two weeks, he had looked for her anywhere and everywhere she could be. She was waiting for him to ask to marry her and she was going to accept. The unattractive and boring Brantain was enormously rich and she liked and needed the attention which money could give her.

During one of the pauses in their talk, the door opened and a young man came in that Brantain knew quite well. The girl turned her face to him. A step or two brought him to her side, and before she knew his plan – because she didn’t know if he had seen her visitor – he put a long, hard kiss on her lips.

Brantain slowly got up and so did the girl, but very quickly, and the newcomer stood between them.

"I believe," stammered Brantain, "I see that I have stayed too long. I – I had no idea – I must say good-bye." He was holding his hat with both hands and probably did not notice that she was giving her hand to him. She did not forget that she was the host, but she could not speak.

"I just didn’t see him sitting there, Nattie! I know it's very difficult for you. But I hope you'll forgive me just once. Why, what's the matter?"

"Don't touch me, don't come near me," she replied angrily. "What did you come into the house without ringing the doorbell for?"

"I came in with your brother, as I often do," he answered coldly. "We came in the side way and I came in here hoping to find you. The explanation is simple. You should understand that it was just bad luck. But please say that you forgive me, Nathalie," he asked, sadly.

"Forgive you! You don't know what you’re talking about. For me to forgive you depends on – well, a lot. It depends on many things."

At that next party which she and Brantain were talking about on that unhappy afternoon, she went to him with a delicious openness when she saw him there.

"Will you let me speak to you a moment or two, Mr. Brantain?" she asked with an attractive but disturbed smile. He seemed extremely unhappy, but when she took his arm and walked away with him, looking for a quiet corner, hope seemed mixed with the unhappiness on his face.

"Perhaps I should not speak to you, Mr. Brantain, but – but, oh, I have been very uncomfortable, almost miserable since the other afternoon. When I thought how you might misunderstand it and believe things" – hope was now beginning to win in Brantain's round, rather stupid face – "Of course, I know it’s nothing to you, but I want you to understand that Mr. Harvy is a very close and very old friend. We’ve always been like cousins – like brother and sister, I can say. He’s my brother's best friend and often imagines that he is part of the family. Oh, I know it’s stupid, unnecessary, to tell you this," – she was almost crying – "but it makes so much difference to me what you think of – of me." Her voice was very low and worried. The unhappiness disappeared from Brantain's face.

"Then you really care what I think, Miss Nathalie? Can I call you Miss Nathalie?" They turned into a long, dark hall in the house that had tall plants on both sides. They walked slowly to the end. When they turned to walk back, Brantain's face was shining.

Harvy was one of the guests at the wedding and he found her in a rare moment when she stood alone.

"Your husband," he said, smiling, "has sent me over to kiss you."

Her face and beautiful long neck quickly changed colour. "I suppose it's normal for a man to feel and act generously at his wedding. He tells me he doesn't want his marriage to stop that warmth which has always been between you and me. I don't know what you've told him," with a rude smile, "but he’s sent me here to kiss you."

She felt like a chess player who, by her clever playing, sees the game going where she wants. Her eyes were bright and soft with a smile as they glanced up into his; and her lips looked hungry for the kiss which they invited.

"But, you know," he went on quietly, "I didn't tell him but I can tell you. I've stopped kissing women; it's dangerous."

Well, she had Brantain and his million. A person can't have everything in this world and it was a little unreasonable to expect it.