“Then—is it worth breaking the rules for—that?”
“You believe in rules. I don’t. I’m a rebel.”
“Half a rebel. Or you wouldn’t be justifying yourself quite so hotly.”
“And you’re wholly a saint!” Deb flared, rather unreasonably, as she had pushed the other girl to attack.
“Because I don’t stay under the roof of nice old ladies? It’s futile. When two people care like Gillian and Theo——” she stopped short, as though she had not meant to let slip the names.
“I’m always hearing of Gillian and Theo. Are they married?”
“No. Theo Pandos has got a wife somewhere. He’s a Greek. Clever—but a cad.”
“And Gillian Sherwood is a celebrity, isn’t she?”
“In her own line she’s supposed to be unique. Bacteriology.... She did a rather wonderful piece of research, and all the hoary professors of science and medicine bent before her and kowtowed. It’s a shame she should squander herself on Theo, just as it’s a shame——” Passionately she renewed her attack on Deb: “You’ve betrayed us all.... Cliffe will suppose that any girl—I—I hate him to think so. Why can’t you run away from them—instead of towards them?”