Page:The Redemption of Anthony (1911).djvu/13

 "Lord, what a drunken sot I was! What on earth ever gave you the hint that there was a spark in me worth saving, Louise?"

"You haven't forgotten that night we met at the Carltons'? How delightfully you talked about your work and your ideals—"

Drake broke in crisply. "And then drank too much champagne and blubbered my failures, I remember only too well, unfortunately. The question is, why did you send for me later?"

"Because I thought it might prove worth while to redeem you."

He laughed. "I remember I tossed up to see whether or not I'd come in answer to your note."

"You were a perfect bear at first; determined not to be patronized, nor made friends with."

"What a brute I must have been, dear!"

She winced, and smiled up at him. "You were an uncouth creature those days, Tony. I feel quite proud of you now when I think back to them."