that a woman is beginning to claim a minute of my thoughts, a single
one of my emotions, to govern the slightest throb of my pulses, I'll
take her by the throat and I'll throw her out of what's left of my life
as I would a rat that had crept into my room. I've done with them.
Curse all women!"

There was a silence. Kendricks leaned over to the fireplace and knocked
his pipe against the hearth. Then he suddenly paused.

"What's that?" he asked abruptly.

There was a soft knocking at the outside door.




CHAPTER IV


A BUNCH OF VIOLETS


Kendricks rose slowly to his feet. Julien was looking toward the door
with a frown upon his face. While they stood there the knocking was
repeated, still soft but a little more insistent. Julien hesitated no
longer.

"I think," Kendricks said dryly, "that you had better see who is
there."