Esther had walked back to the fire and Mellowes followed her. He knew that he had only got a few moments, and he meant to make the most of them. "You refuse to see me or to allow me to take you out," he went on urgently. "And you haven't even answered my last letter. If I have offended you----" "You haven't," said Esther, as he paused. "I'm not at all offended." "Then why, in the name of all that's holy----" he began again, in exasperation. She cut him short. "You didn't tell me the truth about yourself. You made out you were poor! You pretended to be some one quite different to what you are. You've a perfect right to, I suppose, if you wish, but I hate being deceived and treated like that. I suppose you think anything is good enough for me! Perhaps it is, but----" Micky brought his fist down with a bang on the back of the big armchair. "I give you my word of honour, Miss Shepstone, that what I said was only because it seemed the best way to make you trust me. I had absolutely no other reason for pretending to--to--be anything but what I am. I know you'd have gone off at a tangent if I'd said I was unfortunate enough to be rich, I know----" She shrugged her shoulders. "You didn't even write to me from your real address--you just put a number." She broke into an angry little laugh. "I suppose you thought I shouldn't understand that a number can also be an expensive flat." Micky turned pale with anger. "You're deliberately trying to make out that I'm a bounder. It's not fair--I don't deserve it; and as to thinking anything good enough for you--I suppose you'd only take it as a fresh insult if I told you that there is nothing in the world I consider good enough for you.... I ... oh, what's the good of arguing," he broke out with sudden rage. "It's no good at all, and there's nothing to argue about," Esther said stiffly. She had taken off her gloves and was flattening them out nervously. "You offered me your friendship, and now I decline it. I suppose I am free to do so?" "No," said Micky violently, "you're not ... I--I ..." He turned away sharply, realising with dismay how nearly he had blurted out the truth about Ashton. After a moment he spoke more quietly. "It is pure chance that brought me here. I have known June Mason for years; we are old friends. She has no idea that I have ever seen you before, but I will tell her this moment if you wish it----" She raised passionate eyes to his face. "I will never forgive you as long as I live if you dare to," she said stormily. Micky frowned till his brows nearly met above his kind eyes. "Whatever I say or offer to do is wrong, of course," he said savagely. "If I had not offered to tell her, you would probably have said that I was ashamed of knowing you ... oh, good Heavens! whatever have I said now?" he added as he saw the hot blood rush to her face.