"Yes," he said, "you must have been. Just playing at cooking and housework, reading aloud to her while she drew—yes, she told me that. And the flowers and all her little trumpery odds and ends about. Awfully amusing it must have been."
"Don't," said Paula.
"And to have her loving you and trusting you as she did—awfully comic, wasn't it? Calling you her girl-friend—"
"Shut up, will you?"
"And thinking she had created a new heaven and a new earth for you. Silly sentimental little school-girl!"
"Will you hold your tongue?"
"So long, Lottie," cried the girl of her party; "we're off to the Bullier. You've got better fish to fry, I see."
"Yes," said Paula with sudden effrontery; "perhaps we'll look in later."
The others laughed and went.
"Now," she said, turning furiously on Vernon, "will you go? Or shall I? I don't want any more of you."