"No more than that?"
"Well, it's your turn now."
"I could never criticize one of my guests."
She gave him time to see that no reply was possible, then took another step towards the bridge players. More strongly than ever he felt that he was losing her.
"I hope I shall be one of your guests again, Barbara."
She shook her head and smiled with tired gentleness. Jack discovered that she was capable, in her quiet passages, of great dignity, which contributed to his general conception of her as "big" and punished him more completely than if she had lost her temper and made a scene.
"But you can't like hurting me.... And I've tried to be so sweet to you. You don't want to come again?"
"But I do."
He hoped to hear her say "Why?" so that he could recover ground and secure a good jumping-off place for their next meeting.