"Because you don't care for what other women do!" he said quickly. "Because I am tired--eternally tired--of women who fling themselves at me! Because you make me follow you. Listen! You won't believe me--it's true. You can do anything you want with me!" "Harrigan Blood offers me himself!" she said maliciously, for she began to have the same instinct with him as she had with Massingale, to whip him out of his calm into a fury. "Blood!" he said angrily. "Child, you would hold a man like that three months. He would devour you, crush you. That type only feeds on women! You think I don't care! Do you know that just because you turned up in my life I've broken with Blood--that we are fighting each other tooth and nail, that I've caught him in the market, and will wring him for forty or fifty thousand for daring to get in my path!" "And he?" she cried, delighted. He noticed the joy in her, the childish delight of mischief, which reckoned great disasters as a broken vase. "Little devil! That's what I like in you!" he said, with a flash of his eyes. "Blood is hammering me tooth and nail. He'll put me back three years, perhaps, tie me up and cost me a million or two more. But that's all the good it'll do him! Well, are you pleased?" "Yes, I like that!" "And which is it to be?" "The bracelet, please!" He laughed, fastening it on her arm, taking no advantage. "You see how domesticated I am!" "You behave very well!" "Grant me one favor, then!" "What?" "To see your room," he said eagerly. She was about to refuse, when the thought of Snyder and Betty above made her bite her lip with malice, and ask: "Well, for once! But why?" "To see what you prefer to all you could have!" he said; but he said it impersonally, bowing his thanks, resolved to school himself to impassibility and patience. No sooner had they reached her room than he comprehended her trap. But it was too late to retreat. He was forced to make the best of it, submitting to introductions, pretending interest in the child and the tree. Then, inventing a lie, aware always of the laughter behind Dodo's eyes, he drew a ten-dollar bill from his pocket, and addressing Betty, said: "Miss Baxter was kind enough to let me come up just for the Christmas tree. This is my present; buy anything you want!" And with a stiff bow, he fled from childish things, cursing his deception, rage and avidity in his heart. Dodo, with shrieks of laughter, threw herself rolling on the bed. But all at once she rose anxiously. "Snyder, did he come at twelve? You know whom I mean!" "Yes, he came!" "You saw him? What did you say?" "Told him you'd been in--gone out--didn't know where!" said Snyder in her jerky way. "Snyder!" she cried furiously. "Did he leave a message?" "No!" "Snyder, don't deceive me!" she said imperatively. "Where is the letter?" The woman shrugged her shoulders, hesitated, then went to a drawer and flung a letter on the table. Dodo tore it open. It was brevity itself.