Kate Chopin

The Kiss

A man, Brantain, and a woman, Nathalie were sitting in a room which was lit by a fire in the fireplace. The room was full of deep shadows.

Brantain sat in one of these shadows. They were talking low, of indifferent things which were not the things that occupied their thoughts. She knew that he loved her, but she didn't love him, because she loved another man, Harvy. She stayed with Brantain, because he was very rich; and she liked and required all that wealth could give her.

While they were chatting Harvy came into the room and went towards Nathalie. He hadn't seen Brantain, because he was hidden in the shadow. He bended over her chair and kissed her lips.

Brantain slowly arose and left the room, while Nathalie was shocked. Harvy  apologised for the kiss but Nathalie was very angry.

Nathalie left the room and called Brantain and told him that Harvy was an intimate friend of long standing, because they had been like cousins - like brother and sister. Brantain listened to her and decided to forgive that embarrassing situation. So they walked slowly into a long, dim corridor.

Harvy was among the guests at the wedding, and he talked to her in a rare moment when she was alone. He told her Brantain had sent him over to kiss her, because her husband didn't want his marriage to interrupt wholly that pleasant intimacy which had existed between her and him. Natahlie was happy to get both wishes. But Harvy said he had stopped kissing women, because he thought it was dangerous.

At the end Nathalie realizes that she had Brantain and all his fortune but she didn't have real love.