Joyselle, with a great effort, chattered gaily throughout the meal. His thoughts, too, were in a turmoil, for he knew that her apology had been offered merely on Théo's account, and he also knew that something was going to happen.
Félicité, sincerely sorry for Brigit and anxious anent Théo, talked more than usual, so that the uncongenial gathering was more voluble and noisy than usual.
At its close Félicité called her son to her room under some pretext or other, and Joyselle and Brigit went alone to his study. He closed the door very quietly, and then turning to her, caught her hands threateningly.
"Do?" She raised her eyebrows. "I am going, of course."
"_Sais pas._ Let go my hands, please; you hurt me--Beau-papa!"
He flung away from her and stood by the window, staring with blinded eyes into the street.
"This is really no good, you know," she went on in a conversational tone; "we quarrel and squabble and are no earthly use to each other--the whole position is bad. I think I will tell Théo, and go."
He did not answer, and after a pause she added: "Or marry him by special license the day after to-morrow, and make him take me--somewhere--for a few months."
"You and I have made fools of ourselves, haven't we? But it was natural. I am very beautiful, and you are a very great genius, so----"
Maddened at her tone of indifferent justice, he turned, his face drawn with pain.
"So it was natural? A childish fancy on your part, a senile one on mine? A thing to--laugh at already! Oh, how _can_ you torture me like this? You--you----"
"Devil? Or demon?" Her voice was mocking, but her lips had paled, and she gasped a little as if breathless.
"Let's not be melodramatic, _please_. Call it what you like. I was at least perfectly sincere."
"Yes. Listen." Advancing swiftly to where he stood, she had the amazing courage to give a little laugh. Then she laid her hand on his shoulder. "Seriously, let's be good friends and forget all--the rest. I have been a fool, but you have not; for after all, I am fairly attractive, and you are not the first! So let's make a bargain: I will never again attract you; you will never again _play at me_. And then things will be quite comfy. Shall we? I have been an awful pig to Théo, who is a darling, and from now on I shall try to make up to him."