She started at the sound of his voice and reddened as she always did when she was caught in a lie; then the flash of anger which he knew so well came into her eyes as she instinctively sought to defend herself by abuse. But she did not say the words which were on the tip of her tongue.
“Oh, I was only going to see the show. It gives me the hump sitting every night by myself.”
He did not pretend to believe her.
“You mustn’t. Good heavens, I’ve told you fifty times how dangerous it is. You must stop this sort of thing at once.”
“Oh, hold your jaw,” she cried roughly. “How d’you suppose I’m going to live?”
He took hold of her arm and without thinking what he was doing tried to drag her away.
“For God’s sake come along. Let me take you home. You don’t know what you’re doing. It’s criminal.”
“What do I care? Let them take their chance. Men haven’t been so good to me that I need bother my head about them.”
She pushed him away and walking up to the box-office put down her money. Philip had threepence in his pocket. He could not follow. He turned away and walked slowly down Oxford Street.
“I can’t do anything more,” he said to himself.