Quicksand
Helga Crane‘s sense of elation had abruptly left her. At the same time she had felt the need to answer carefully. No, she replied, she hadn‘t thought of it at all. It had meant nothing to her. She had been kissed before. It was really too silly of him to have been at all bothered about it. “For what,” she had asked, “is one kiss more or less, these days, between friends?” She had even laughed a little.
Dr. Anderson was relieved. He had been, he told her, no end upset. Rising, he said: “I see you‘re going out. I won‘t keep you.”
Helga Crane too had risen. Quickly. A sort of madness had swept over her. She felt that he had belittled and ridiculed her. And thinking this, she had suddenly savagely slapped Robert Anderson with all her might, in the face.
For a short moment they had both stood stunned, in the deep silence which had followed that resounding slap. Then, without a word of
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