sorry for you because you were down on your luck; and anyway, I'm always sorry for people like you. And I'm fond of you, too. But if you're going to be so damn weak, and slop over with disgusting sentiment—well, I'm off."
Connie looked out of the window again.
"If you'll pull up and try to make something of your life, I'm with you. If not, I'm through."
"I can't give him up," moaned Connie. "I want to talk over old times with him, and hear him say that he loved me once. It means everything to me. I must talk to him, Noel!"
"All right. Then that's that. Well, I'm walking home. I feel I need a little air after all this. It's good-by then, Connie?"
He held out his hand. She turned and looked at him wildly.
"Noel, I never thought you could be so hard! You don't know how miserable you're making me!"
"There's Eric, too," he reminded her. "Don't forget he's got no love for Petrovitch. Don't forget Humphries was his friend. Eric's been pretty decent to you. As for . . . as for Claire! . . ."
Tears welled into her eyes. Noel, who, like
