Happily, he had seen little of Heloise and less of Diana. At the thought of Diana his expression changed from one of great sadness to one of intense malignity. And then he would laugh softly, for, despite all that had been said (and that in his hearing) he possessed a sense of humour. How remarkably capable she was! In his bitterest moments this fact worked out from the confusion of his resentment. And how lovely! Once he had tried to patronise her ... he blushed at the memory. Suppose he hadn’t gone away on this mad adventure, would he have recognised all her excellent qualities as he saw them now? It was doubtful. He was so keyed up, his nerves were stretched at such tension, that every note of her was detected and valued. And of course she was behaving in this outrageous way in his interest. He warmed at this thought. But Dempsi ... his heart went back into the refrigerator.
The door opened slowly and he looked up, hoping to see the subject of his thoughts. But he was to be disappointed. It was Heloise. She threw down the book she was carrying, tore off the selvedge of an old newspaper that lay on the table, and, by its aid and the kitchen fire, lit a cigarette.
He got up from the Windsor chair before the fire, and, without a word of thanks, she dropped into his place. She smoked, watching the fire. She was pretty too, but in a harder way. He felt just a little sorry for her....
Presently Gordon broke into her thoughts.
“You’ve landed me in a pretty fine mess,” he said without heat.
She looked up at him sideways, flicking the ash from her cigarette with a cute little snap of her forefinger.
“_I’ve_ landed _you_!” she said ironically. “I like that--anyway, there’s no call to get mad, Man.”
A cold chill ran down his spine at that familiar form of address.
“I wish you wouldn’t call me Man. It belongs to bobbed hair and empress gowns and art serge ... and soul.”
She laughed quietly; she hadn’t laughed for a long time.
“You used to like me calling you Man--in the days of our spiritual freedom, when deep called to deep--oh, gee! I forget the mush! And only two days ago I was word-perfect--knew every line.”
Gordon rivetted his shocked gaze upon her.
“I don’t understand ... knew your lines? What do you mean?”