"Don't follow me. Good-bye."

She crossed the road. He came after her and seized her arm.

"Don't be a fool!" he cried.

"You've hurt me. You're capable of anything," she cried.

"Rot!"

"Oh, you brute, to hurt a girl!"

"I've done nothing of the kind. It would almost have served you
right if I had, for being such a little fool. Listen to me--you
shall listen," he added, as Mavis strove to leave him.

His voice compelled submission. She looked at him, to see that his
face was tense with anger. She found that she did not hate him so
much, although she said, as if to satisfy her conscience for
listening to him:

"Do you want to insult me again?"

"I want to tell you what a fool you are, in chucking away a chance
of lifelong happiness, because you're upset at what I did, when,
finding you in that house, I'd every excuse for doing."

"Lifelong happiness?" cried Mavis scornfully.