Page:Strange Interlude (1928).djvu/184

178 [Showing his jealous resentment in spite of himself]

—as you did once before with Gordon Shaw!

[Thinking]

He is jealous of Gordon! how wonderful that is!

[With provoking calm]

I loved Gordon.

[Irritably ignoring this as if he didn’t want to hear it]

Romantic imagination! It has ruined more lives than all the diseases! Other diseases, I should say! It’s a form of insanity!

[He gets up forcefully and begins to pace about the room]

[Thinking uneasily]

Mustn’t look at her find an excuse and get away  and this time never come back!

[Avoiding looking at her, trying to argue reasonably—coldly]

You’re acting foolishly, Nina—and very unfairly. The agreement we made has no more to do with love than a contract for building a house. In fact, you know we agreed it was essential that love mustn’t enter into it. And it hasn’t in spite of what you say.

[''A pause. He walks about. She watches him'']

[Thinking]

She’s got to come back to earth! I’ve got to break with her! bad enough now! but to go on with it! what a mess it’d make of all our lives!