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‘Now, are you going home at once?’

‘Must I?’ he asked vacuously.

‘You must,’ she answered. ‘Today. Wire her at once. And I will give you a note to her.’

‘Oh, hell, you know what she’ll say.’

‘Of course I do. You haven’t any sisters and brothers, have you?’

‘No,’ he said in surprise. She moved and he sensed the fact that she desired to be released. He sat up. ‘How did you know?’ he asked in surprise.

‘I just guessed. But you will go, won’t you? Promise.’

‘Well, I will, then. But I will come back to you.’

‘Of course you will. I will expect you. Kiss me.’

She offered her face coolly and he kissed her as she wished: coldly, remotely. She put her hands on his cheeks. ‘Dear boy,’ she said, kissing him again, as his mother kissed him.

‘Say, that’s no way for engaged people to kiss,’ he objected.

‘How do engaged people kiss?’ she asked. He put his arms around her, feeling her shoulder-blades, and drew her mouth against his with the technique he had learned. She suffered his kiss a moment, then thrust him away.