“Please don’t speak of me as your common guest, or as your guest at all, Mr Purchase.”
“You purposely twist my words. You know perfectly well——”
“I know perfectly well that I wish to have nothing to say to you, nor do I wish you to have anything to say to me—thank you very much indeed, Mr Purchase. Gentlemen, I need not trouble you to come any farther—I am going home.”
“Going home!” cried Mr Carter. “You are coming to my box, Miss Norah.”
“I am going to do nothing of the kind.”
“But, Miss Norah, surely you will not punish us because of Hammond’s misconduct; surely——”
“Do not trouble yourself to say anything more, Mr Carter; and be so good as to understand me clearly. I am indebted to you, separately and collectively, for a very unpleasant evening. I will not apportion the blame among you; I will leave you to do that yourselves. I can only say that had I known what sort of persons you were I should not have trespassed on your generosity, in search—in vain search—of an evening’s entertainment. You have already caused me to be a principal figure in a most disagreeable scene; you see how, thanks to you, the people are staring at me now—it’s a wonder the police do not turn me out! Being fearful lest you may drag me into another, I will say good-evening to you now—and thank you very much. Please do not come with me another inch.”
“But, Miss Norah, you will at least allow us to see you home.”
“See me home!—you! I would sooner ride with a cabman on his box.”
“But you have no carriage!”