“Well, she hadn’t. I—I didn’t know I’d gone so far as to say––”

“Oh, you went a lot farther than that. You said you were goin’ to the devil. Ain’t you? I mean, aren’t you?”

“I—I don’t seem able to.”

141

“You’re the first fellow I’ve ever heard say that.”

“I’m the first fellow I’ve ever heard say it myself. But I tried to-day—and I couldn’t.”

“What did you do?”

“I tried to get drunk.”

She half rose, shrinking away from him. “Not—not you!

“Yes. Why not? I’ve been drunk before—not often, but––”