It does most women."
"I see him every moment. Even if I did not, I do not think--well, of
course if things were different I should not be an outcast of any
sort. And don't imagine that my refinement suffers in these new
contacts. The underworld interests me; I had never even tried to
imagine it before. I am permitted to remain aloof and a spectator. At
times it is all as unreal as I seem to myself, sitting there. But I
never feel so close to vice as to complete honesty. I have often had
glimpses of blacker sins in Society."
"Well, I'm glad it's no worse. To tell you the truth, I've avoided
looking you up, for I didn't know--well, I didn't want to see you
again if you were too different. Good-night. I'll meet you at this
door tonight at twelve sharp."
XXXVI
There were doctors' offices on the first floor and Madeleine climbed
wearily the two flights to her room. Her muscles felt as tired as her
spirit, but she had an odd fancy that her skeleton was of fine
flexible steel and not only indestructible but tenacious and
dominant. It defied the worst she could do to organs and soul.
She unlocked her door and lit the gas jet. It was a decent room,
large, with the bed in an alcove, and little uglier than those grim
double parlors of her past that she had graced so often.
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