Involuntarily Ruth had also risen, bewildered at the sudden change in Gloria’s manner. Through the open doorway she could see George standing in the dimly lighted hall beyond, his red eyes gleaming, fixed on Gloria’s moving figure. She thought she understood, at least in part, the reason for the sudden change and though she was trembling with the unreasoning fear that assails the bravest in the face of the mysterious and unknown, she forced herself to move across the room so that she stood between George in the hall, and Gloria. She could almost feel his malignant gaze on her back as she stood in the doorway, but she did not falter. “If you do that, Gloria, it will mean that you can’t work in Terry’s play—It will mean giving up everything—your career and your income. Does Prince Aglipogue know that?” Gloria paused in her restless walk and looked at her from beneath her troubled brows. “I don’t care about the career; I’m tired of the stage, but what difference will the income make? It’s such a little one, you know.” “Still it may make a difference with Aglipogue, and if you give up your career and your income you will be dependent on him. That should make a difference to you.” Ruth wondered afterward where she got all this worldly knowledge and how she was able to say it, with George’s eyes burning into her back. “What a practical child you are; but let’s not talk about it tonight. I’m awfully tired. We were going to announce our engagement Christmas Eve, but there’s no harm in your knowing.” “Gloria, you can’t—you can’t marry him. He’s fat and selfish and horrid!” In her excitement she forgot George and moved to Gloria’s side. “You don’t know what you’re doing.” Gloria’s eyes looked across her, over her head and the trance-like look came back into them. “When you are as old as I you will know that physical appearance doesn’t matter much. I don’t know why I’m marrying Aggie, but it seems to be happening. So many things happen—I need a change; I want to travel in a new country. Besides it’s all fixed—it’s too late now—too late—”