A fresh flush burned her face as her eyes met his and fell before them.
“I know I’m ridiculous,” she began, a little nervously, “but you know, I just needed that. We’ve had two wild days, and I had to have something.”
He opened the door, and she went through holding up her hair. She dropped into her chair and swung it round, and without any apology let down the dishevelled gold about her head, and then firmly wound and pinned the coils up again, talking as she did so.
“How are you?” she began.
“Very well, I think, thank you.” He leaned against the high counter opposite her.
She thought he looked better than she had ever seen him. At least he had not spent his winter in dissipation, as she had feared he might have done.
“It was nice of you to write to me, but it was very rude of you to go off like that without letting me know.” As she was not looking at him she did not see the flash that went across his eyes as she said that.
“I’m sorry I was rude,” he said repentantly
“You’re not a bit sorry,” she retorted pertly. “Did you get my letter?”
“I did, thank you.”
She had finished pinning her hair. She felt hot and confused. He had evidently come in to say something, and was waiting for Jimmy to get out.
“Won’t you take off your coat?”
It seemed to her that he emerged out of it like a radiant creature out of a utilitarian chrysalis. She felt the beauty of his head again as if she were seeing it for the first time.
He was more warmly dressed than she had ever seen him in a square-cut suit of dark blue cloth, with a vest over the white silk shirt, and a very calm gray-blue tie. His
