"Whom the gods destroy they first infatuate--with an opera singer." She delivered the words straight from the shoulder, and as she finished he rose from his chair and stood looking angrily down upon her.
"Did you let me come here for _this ?_" he demanded.
"O Arnold, Arnold!" the gayety rang back to her voice, and she made a charming little face of affected terror.

"If you're going to be a bear I'll run away." She stretched out her hand, and he held it for an instant in his own, while he fell back impatiently into his chair.
"The truth is that I was clean mad about her," he said, "about Madame Alta--but it's over now, and I abominate everything that has ever set foot on the stage." "Was she really beautiful ?" she enquired curiously.
He laughed sharply.

"Beautiful! She was flesh--if you mean that." An angry sigh escaped him, and Gerty lighted a fresh cigarette and gave it to him with a soothing gesture.

The nervous movements which were characteristic of him became more frequent, and she found herself wondering that they should increase rather than diminish the impression of virile force.

For a while he smoked in silence; then, with his eyes still turned away from her, he asked in a changed voice.
"Tell me about your friend--she interests me." "She interests you! Laura ?" "There's something in her that I like," he pursued, smiling at her exclamation.