in her flushed happiness she had forgotten to be suspicious, or had
blindly misread the meanings of the earlier colloquy, as a result of
which the invitation had been given.

"Don't be so silly!" quickly cried Jenny. "Of course he wanted you to
go!"

"Alf!" Emmy's eyes were fixed upon him with a look of urgent entreaty.
She looked at Alf with all the love, all the extraordinary intimate
confidence with which women of her class do so generally regard the men
they love, ready to yield judgment itself to his decision. When he did
not answer, but stood still before them like a red-faced boy, staring
down at the floor, she seemed to shudder, and began despairingly to
unfasten the buttons of her thick coat. Jenny darted up and ran to check
the process.

"Don't be a fool!" she breathed. "Like that! You've got no time for a
scene." Turning to Alf, she motioned him with a swift gesture to the
door. "Look sharp!" she cried.

"I'm not going!" Emmy struggled with Jenny's restraining hands. "It's no
good fussing me, Jenny.... I'm not going. He can take who he likes. But
it's not me."

Alf and Jenny exchanged angry glances, each bitterly blaming the other.

"Em!" Jenny shouted. "You're mad!"

"No, I'm not. Let me go! Let me go! He didn't want me to go. He wanted
you. Oh, I knew it. I was a fool to think he wanted me." Then, looking