"I am going to the wedding. You tried to keep me away by your base trick but you can't do it."
Now he understood. "I know; I know," he groaned. "It was the meanest and most useless thing. But I did not think it was safe for you to go to the wedding. I am sorry to the bottom of my heart."
"Goodbye," she said coldly, walking on.
"But you can't go like that," he exclaimed, pointing to her torn and draggled clothes, her unfastened hair.
"It is better to go to friends whom I can trust," she said coldly, and moved on.
As gently as he could he lifted her in his arms and carried her to the taxicab. Placing her in the seat he followed, and as the machine started began to pour out his repentance. She would not even answer, but sat with averted face, weeping and trembling.
At last she became quiet. He drew her tattered wrap closer about her shoulders and put his arm around her so that her head rested against his breast. A moment later, looking down, he was surprised to see that she was smiling like a tired child.
CHAPTER XVIII
A HOT YOUNG COMET
"That's right; praise her; pet her; make her think she's great, so she'll do it all over again."