'Oh, no offence, I hope. Don't get nasty. How's your wife, Victor?'
'She's not at all well. She hurt her head coming down the slide with Max on Sunday. I told her to stay at home all day.'
'I'm sorry. Are you other fellows going back to the town or stopping on here?'
Fuchs and Victor said they were stopping—Max did not answer, but sat motionless while the men paid for their coffee and moved away. Victor came back a moment and put a hand on his shoulder.
'If you're going right back, my dear, I wish you'd look Elsa up and tell her I won't be in till late. And feed with us to-night at Limpold, will you? And take some hot grog when you get in.'
'Thanks, old fellow, I'm all right. Going back now.'
He rose, stretched himself, buttoned on his heavy coat and lighted another cigarette.
From the door Victor watched him plunging through the heavy snow—head bent—hands thrust in his pockets —he almost appeared to be running through the heavy snow towards the town.
... Someone came stamping up the stairs—paused at the door of her sitting-room, and knocked.
'Is that you, Victor?' she called.
'No, it is I... can I come in?'
'Of course. Why, what a Santa Claus! Hang your coat on the landing and shake yourself over the banisters. Had a good time?'
The room was full of light and warmth. Elsa, in a white velvet tea-gown, lay curled up on the sofa—a book of fashions on her lap, a box of creams beside her.
The curtains were not yet drawn before the windows and a blue light shone through, and the white boughs of the trees sprayed across.
A woman's room—full of flowers and photographs and silk pillows—the floor smothered in rugs—an immense tiger-skin under the piano—just the head protruding—sleepily savage.
'It was good enough,' said Max. 'Victor can't be in till late. He told me to come up and tell you.'
He started walking up and down—tore off his gloves and flung them on the table.
'Don't do that, Max,' said Elsa, 'you get on my nerves. And I've got a headache to-day; I'm feverish and quite flushed... Don't I look flushed?'
He paused by the window and glanced at her a moment over his shoulder.
'No,' he said; 'I didn't notice it.'
'Oh, you haven't looked at me properly, and I've got a new tea-gown on, too.' She pulled her skirts together and patted a little place on the couch.
'Come along and sit by me and tell me why you're being naughty.'
But, standing by the window, he suddenly flung his arm across his eyes.
'Oh,' he said, 'I can't. I'm done—I'm spent—I'm smashed.'
Silence in the room. The fashion-book fell to the floor with a quick rustle of leaves. Elsa sat forward, her hands clasped in her lap; a strange light shone in her eyes, a red colour stained her mouth.
Then she spoke very quietly.
'Come over here and explain yourself. I don't know what on earth you are talking about.'
'You do know—you know far better than I. You've simply played with Victor in my presence that I may feel worse. You've tormented me—you've led me on—offering me everything and nothing at all. It's been a spider-and- fly business from first to last—and I've never for one moment been ignorant of that—and I've never for one moment been able to withstand it.'
He turned round deliberately.
'Do you suppose that when you asked me to pin your flowers into your evening gown—when you let me come into your bedroom when Victor was out while you did your hair—when you pretended to be a baby and let me feed you with grapes—when you have run to me and searched in all my pockets for a cigarette—knowing perfectly well where they were kept—going through every pocket just the same—I knowing too—I keeping up the farce—do you suppose that now you have finally lighted your bonfire you are going to find it a peaceful and pleasant thing—you are going to prevent the whole house from burning?'
She suddenly turned white and drew in her breath sharply.
'Don't talk to me like that. You have no right to talk to me like that. I am another man's wife.'
'Hum,' he sneered, throwing back his head, 'that's rather late in the game, and that's been your trump card all along. You only love Victor on the cat-and-cream principle—you a poor little starved kitten that he's given everything to, that he's carried in his breast, never dreaming that those little pink claws could tear out a man's heart.'
She stirred, looking at him with almost fear in her eyes.
'After all'—unsteadily—'this is my room; I'll have to ask you to go.'
But he stumbled towards her, knelt down by the couch, burying his head in her lap, clasping his arms round her waist.
'And I LOVE you—I love you; the humiliation of it—I adore you. Don't—don't—just a minute let me stay here— just a moment in a whole life—Elsa! Elsa!'
She leant back and pressed her head into the pillows.
