fierce sound of it made her suddenly afraid.

"Do you know what a man said to me the other day," she went on with a
cool insolence before which he became suddenly quiet. "Whom the gods
destroy they first infatuate--with an opera singer."

She delivered the words straight from the shoulder, and as she finished
he rose from his chair and stood looking angrily down upon her.

"Did you let me come here for _this?_" he demanded.

"O Arnold, Arnold!" the gayety rang back to her voice, and she made a
charming little face of affected terror. "If you're going to be a bear
I'll run away."

She stretched out her hand, and he held it for an instant in his own,
while he fell back impatiently into his chair.

"The truth is that I was clean mad about her," he said, "about Madame
Alta--but it's over now, and I abominate everything that has ever set
foot on the stage."

"Was she really beautiful?" she enquired curiously.

He laughed sharply. "Beautiful! She was flesh--if you mean that."

An angry sigh escaped him, and Gerty lighted a fresh cigarette and gave
it to him with a soothing gesture. The nervous movements which were
characteristic of him became more frequent, and she found herself
wondering that they should increase rather than diminish the impression