In his genuine agitation he was starting up, when the sight of her hand laid upon the gong arrested him. She laughed as she said:

‘I thought that the privilege of changing one’s mind was a female prerogative! Besides, I have done already something to make reparation to you for the wrong of � of — I may put it fairly, as the suggestion is your own — of not having treated you as a woman!’

‘Damn!’

‘As you observe so gracefully, it is annoying to have one’s own silly words come back at one, boomerang fashion. I made up my mind to do something for you; to pay off your debts.’ This so exasperated him that he said out brutally:

‘No thanks to you for that! As I had to put up with the patronage and the lecturings, and the eyeglass of that infernal old woman, I don’t