“Well, I don’t believe you. And what I’d like to know is, what are you doing down here with that—that creature. I should think you would be ashamed to speak to me!”
It was her turn now to lash him, which she did, a trifle unjustly, in the manner of a woman.
“I see,” he said, “that we can’t agree.” He began leading her back to her table.
“You will perhaps think it over to-morrow morning. As for that fellow there, I warn you, he’s drunk and not altogether responsible for what he is doing.”
This ended the conversation, and they returned to the table in silence. Although he did not show it, Charles was overcome with grief. It seemed like such an unnecessary misunderstanding. He adopted, in despair, a bravado mood, ordered some more liquor quite loudly, and consciously acted as brazenly as possible. It was unfair to him to do this. Betty sat and watched him, on the verge of tears. She talked in an absent-minded way with Conrad, who was so provoked that he suggested that they return home.
“No,” replied Betty, “I want to stay until the end.” As a matter of fact, she could not tear herself away from Charles. She could not keep her eyes from gazing at him, nor her heart from wishing that he would stop. She hated Conrad now. He seemed like a silent, grim barrier between herself and Charles.
She would not drink anything else, but sat there. She saw Charles take the pudgy hand of the woman next to him. She saw him give her a drink out of the white china cup. She saw him put his arm around her and kiss her—passionately it seemed. Oh horrible, horrible! This modernism!
She felt suddenly ashamed of herself, as though she had driven Charles to do this. She wished she had not come down here. But she could not leave.
Just before closing time, she saw Charles and his partner rise and make preparation to go. The other two members of the party remained seated. Charles never looked over in her direction, but took the woman by the arm and escorted her out of the room. They disappeared behind the green plush curtains.
The room seemed to whirl before her eyes. She arose to follow them.