I had to take money from you.’
‘Why not?
After all, I’m a very rich woman.’
‘Damn your money.’
He was holding a glass in his hands and yielding to a sudden impulse, he flung it into the fireplace.
It shattered.
‘You needn’t break up the happy home,’ said Julia ironically.
‘I’m sorry.
I didn’t mean to do that.’
He sank back into his chair and turned his head away.
‘I’m so ashamed of myself.
It’s not very nice to have lost one’s self-respect.’
Julia hesitated.
She did not quite know what to say.
‘It seemed only natural to help you when you were in a hole.
It was a pleasure to me.’
‘I know, you were wonderfully tactful about it.
You almost persuaded me that I was doing you a service when you paid my debts.
You made it easy for me to behave like a cad.’
‘I’m sorry you should feel like that about it.’
She spoke rather tartly.
She was beginning to feel a trifle irritated.
‘There’s nothing for you to be sorry about.
You wanted me and you bought me.
If I was such a skunk as to let myself be bought that was no business of yours.’
‘How long have you been feeling like this?’
‘From the beginning.’
‘That isn’t true.’
She knew that what had awakened his conscience was the love that had seized him for a girl who he believed was pure.
The poor fool!
Didn’t he know that Avice Crichton would go to bed with an assistant stage manager if she thought it would get her a part?
‘If you’re in love with Avice Crichton why don’t you tell me so?’
He looked at her miserably, but did not answer.
‘Are you afraid it’ll crab her chances of getting a part in the new play?
You ought to know me well enough by now to know that I would never let sentiment interfere with business.’
He could hardly believe his ears.
‘What do you mean by that?’
‘I think she’s rather a find.
I’m going to tell Michael that I think she’ll do very well.’
‘Oh, Julia, you are a brick.
I never knew what a wonderful woman you were.’
‘You should have asked me and I’d have told you.’
He gave a sigh of relief.
‘My dear, I’m so terribly fond of you.’
‘I know, and I’m terribly fond of you.
You’re great fun to go about with and you’re always so well turned out, you’re a credit to any woman.
I’ve liked going to bed with you and I’ve a sort of notion you’ve liked going to bed with me. But let’s face it, I’ve never been in love with you any more than you’ve been in love with me.
I knew it couldn’t last.
Sooner or later you were bound to fall in love and that would end it.
And you have fallen in love, haven’t you?’