when
she had finished, she got up and threw her arms round him, strained him
to her, and burst into tears on his shoulder; thinking of Noel and that
dead boy, thinking of the millions of other boys, thinking of her own
happiness, thinking of those ten years wasted, of how short was life, and
love; thinking--hardly knowing what she thought! And Jimmy Fort, very
moved by this emotion which he only half understood, pressed her tightly
in his arms, and kissed her wet cheeks and her neck, pale and warm in the
darkness.

V

1

Noel went on with her work for a month, and then, one morning, fainted
over a pile of dishes. The noise attracted attention, and Mrs. Lynch was
summoned.

The sight of her lying there so deadly white taxed Leila's nerves
severely. But the girl revived quickly, and a cab was sent for. Leila
went with her, and told the driver to stop at Camelot Mansions. Why take
her home in this state, why not save the jolting, and let her recover
properly? They went upstairs arm in arm. Leila made her lie down on the
divan, and put a hot-water bottle to her feet. Noel was still so passive
and pale that even to speak to her seemed a cruelty. And, going to her
little sideboard, Leila stealthily extracted a pint bottle of some
champagne which Jimmy Fort had sent in, and took it with two glasses and
a corkscrew into her bedroom. She drank a little herself, and came out
bearing a glass to the girl. Noel shook her head, and her eyes seemed to
say: "Do you really think I'm so easily mended?" But Leila had been
through too much in her time to despise earthly remedies, and she held it
to the girl's lips until she drank. It was excellent champagne, and,
since Noel had never yet touched alcohol, had an instantaneous effect.
Her eyes brightened; little red spots came up in her cheeks. And
suddenly she rolled over and buried her face deep in a cushion. With her
short hair, she looked so like a child lying there, that Leila knelt
down, stroking her head, and saying: "There, there; my love! There,
there!"

At last the girl raised herself; now that the pallid, masklike despair of
the last month was broken, she seemed on fire, and her face had a wild
look. She withdrew herself from Leila's touch, and, crossing her arms
tightly across her chest, said:

"I can't bear it; I can't sleep. I want him back; I hate life--I hate
the world. We hadn't done anything--only just loved each other. God
likes punishing;