said.

She nodded them both 'Good-night', and went back slowly to her own set.
Gudrun watched her curious walk, stiff and jerking at the loins. They
heard her level, toneless voice distinctly.

'He won't come over;--he is otherwise engaged,' it said. There was more
laughter and lowered voices and mockery at the table.

'Is she a friend of yours?' said Gudrun, looking calmly at Gerald.

'I've stayed at Halliday's flat with Birkin,' he said, meeting her
slow, calm eyes. And she knew that the Pussum was one of his
mistresses--and he knew she knew.

She looked round, and called for the waiter. She wanted an iced
cocktail, of all things. This amused Gerald--he wondered what was up.

The Halliday party was tipsy, and malicious. They were talking out
loudly about Birkin, ridiculing him on every point, particularly on his
marriage.

'Oh, DON'T make me think of Birkin,' Halliday was squealing. 'He makes
me perfectly sick. He is as bad as Jesus. "Lord, WHAT must I do to be
saved!"'

He giggled to himself tipsily.

'Do you remember,' came the quick voice of the Russian, 'the letters he
used to send. "Desire is holy-"'

'Oh yes!' cried Halliday. 'Oh, how perfectly splendid. Why, I've got
one in my pocket. I'm sure I have.'

He took out various papers from his pocket book.

'I'm sure I've--HIC! OH DEAR!--got one.'

Gerald and Gudrun were watching absorbedly.

'Oh yes, how perfectly--HIC!--splendid! Don't make me laugh, Pussum, it
gives me the hiccup. Hic!--' They all giggled.

'What did he say in that one?' the Pussum asked, leaning forward, her
dark, soft hair falling and swinging against her face. There was
something curiously indecent, obscene, about her small, longish, dark
skull, particularly when the ears showed.

'Wait--oh do wait! NO-O, I won't give it to you, I'll read it aloud.
I'll read you the choice bits,--hic! Oh dear! Do you think if I drink
water it would take off this hiccup? HIC! Oh, I feel perfectly
helpless.'

'Isn't that the letter about uniting the dark and the light--and the
Flux of Corruption?' asked Maxim, in his precise, quick voice.

'I believe so,' said the Pussum.

'Oh is it? I'd forgotten--HIC!--it was that one,' Halliday said,
opening the letter. 'HIC! Oh yes. How perfectly splendid! This is one
of the best. "There is a phase in every race--"' he read in the
sing-song, slow, distinct voice of a clergyman reading the Scriptures,
'"When the desire for destruction overcomes every