Her eyes sparkled, and her head was high. She gave a little angry laugh, and turned towards the bell.
“Will you go, please, or must I ring for Markham?”
At her movement, and the sound of her laughter, David’s self-control gave way, suddenly and completely. The blood rushed violently to his head. He took a long step towards her, and she stopped where she was in sheer terror.
“You laugh,” he said, in a low tone of concentrated passion—“you laugh——”
Then his voice leaped into fury. “I’ve sold my soul for you, and you laugh. I’m in hell for you, and you laugh. I’m drunk, and you laugh. My God, for that at least you shall never laugh at me again. By God, you shan’t——”
He stood over her for a moment, looking down on her with terrible eyes. Then he turned and went stumbling to the door, and so out, and, in the dead silence that followed, they heard the heavy front door swing to behind him.
Mary was clinging to a chair.
“Oh, Liz,” she whispered faintly, but Elizabeth turned and went out of the room without a single word.
CHAPTER X
EDWARD IS PUT OUT
That which the frost can freeze,