And Louie, in her eagerness to get rid of her and to remove herself from danger, almost gladly submitted to what Evie said next. "Oh, of course, if you've--an appointment," she said, with a toss. "Yes, I've an appointment--you understand," she answered, with a little shepherding movement of her hands. But the next moment that too had turned into something else. "Oh, you little fool!" Louie broke out, suddenly seeing. "You don't suppose I'm trying to get you out of the way so that I can meet _him_, do you? Good gracious, woman, he's never set foot in this place in his life, and I'll see he never does! Perhaps I wanted you to think he had--I don't know what I thought--with one and another of you I'm getting almost past thinking--but that's the truth anyway! _Now_ are you satisfied? Or have you got the idea so thoroughly into your stupid little head that nothing will shake it? If you're going to spend your Saturday afternoons going round to every place you think might possibly----" But the denial counted for nothing. Evie turned haughtily. "Who's making the noise now? And why should I believe you? I knew before I came you'd say that----" "Oh, how you try me!... I _do_ say that. There's nothing else to say. Do you think if it was any other way I shouldn't boast of it, to you or anybody else? Why, how _can_ you know so little of him--not to speak of myself----" "You needn't talk as if you hadn't already had the cheek to tell me you loved him!" "Did I? Upon my soul, I sometimes don't know whether I do or not! Say I don't--say I lied--say I sometimes almost hate him as much as I do you and you me." "Oh, very likely, the grapes being sour," Evie scoffed. "Then if they're sour----? What more do you want? Isn't that enough? And isn't it more than enough that I let you stand there and tell me so? Oh, I'm doing my best to warn you--you'll make a great mistake if you make me _try_ to get him!" She stamped. "_Won't_ you go?" Evie too stamped. "Oh yes, I'll go, and so will you, I promise you--from Pall Mall----" "Anything you like--only go----" But as Evie took a step towards the door a little accident turned Louie suddenly as white as paper. Billy's study leaned against the wall; Evie's skirt or foot caught it as she passed; and the canvas fell. Evie gave a short laugh and pushed it with her shoe. The dear symbol, nay, the very evidence of so many dreamings, that poor thing of wasted smiles and sighs and tears, the pearl from the heart of the oyster-grey---- A kick of her rival's shoe was treatment good enough for it---- It was as if the hives of her own breasts and the heart beneath them had been trodden on. Louie stepped slowly forward. "No, stop," she said. She stood for a moment looking down at the picture; then she spoke slowly. "You were quite right to come," she said. "You have reason to be jealous." Evie affected not to hear, but she heard. Louie continued: