“Money! Curse money! Kiss me!” With a certain amazement at the sheer distaste in her face, he heard her say:

“It's childish to curse money. I will spend all the income I have; but I will not spend more, and I will not ask Dad.”

He flung himself down in a chair.

“Ho! Ho! Virtue!”

“No—pride.”

He said gloomily:

“So you don't believe in me. You don't believe I can earn as much as I want—more than you have—any time? You never have believed in me.”

“I think you earn now as much as you are ever likely to earn.”

“That is what you think! I don't want money—your money! I can live on nothing, any time. I have done it—often.”

“Hssh!”