Page:The Plutocrat (1927).pdf/440

 ter. "You know nothing of yourself and nothing of what you thought; but I am a woman of some experience and I can tell you what you thought and what your 'ideal' of me is worth. Your 'ideal' was a woman who appreciated Mr. Laurence Ogle. What you thought was that such a 'goddess-like' creature could never prefer a man like Mr. Tinker to a man like Mr. Laurence Ogle! In that is all your trouble, all your peevishness and all your disappointed emotion now, my friend, all of it!"

"What?" He looked up, staring at her. "You tell me"

"I tell you the truth. It is time! Don't you think so?"

He rose again. "Yes," he said slowly, "I suppose it must be a luxury, now that you feel you've no more use for me."

At that she drew a deep breath, and her eyes concentrated upon him dangerously. "I must ask you to explain yourself again."

"I'm only making it clear that I understand the situation."

"What 'situation'?"

"You came here to find him, and now that you have found him indeed, you can dispense with me;