"
They were still standing. He had been too eager to begin his report to
offer her a chair or to take one himself.
"They can't expect me to repeat it, now, can they?" he hurried on.
"There are limits, by Jove! I can't go begging to them--"
"I don't think they expect it."
"And yet, if I don't, you know--he's dished. He loses his money--and
everything else."
In putting a slight emphasis on the concluding words he watched her
closely. She betrayed herself to the extent of throwing back her head
with a little tilt to the chin.
"I don't believe he'd consider that being dished. He's the sort of man
who loses only when he--flings away."
"He's the sort of man who's a beastly cad."
He regretted these words as soon as they were uttered, but she had stung
him to the quick. Her next words did so again.
"Then, if so, I hope you won't find it necessary to repeat the
information. I mistook him for something very high--very high and noble;
and, if you don't mind, I'd rather go on doing it."
She swept him with a look such as he knew she must be capable of giving,
though he had never before seen it. The next second she had slipped
between the portieres into the hail.
Pages:
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341
342
343
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354