A voluble porter had already wrenched open the door and was imploring monsieur to accept his services; it was impossible to say any more to Esther.
Micky followed her out on to the platform; he felt that the last shred of his patience and tenderness had been killed.
She did not believe him––whatever he said she would 243 never believe him; it was useless to waste his breath; he might as well give up and let her go her own way; perhaps a sharp lesson would teach her better and more quickly than all his love had been able to do.
He was dispirited and hungry, and hunger alone makes a man angry. He looked at the girl for whose sake he had raced all these miles of wild-goose chase, and a boorish longing to hurt her, to let her suffer rose in his heart.
Let her go to Ashton and see for herself the sort of man he was.
He spoke with savage impulse.
“I won’t bother you with my unwelcome company any longer. You will be able to get breakfast in the restaurant, and you will find that most people here understand English.... Good-bye–––”
Esther gave a little gasp––
“You’re not going to leave me?”
The hardness of his eyes did not soften.