There was a pause, then he said: "You are the girl who lives opposite?"
A flicker of irritation and impatience shone in his eyes. "Why do you
interfere? It is no business of yours!"
"Yes, it is," she said, and there was something like a note of anger in
her voice; for it seemed to her that he was extremely ungrateful. "It is
the duty of anyone to prevent a man making--a--a fool of himself. You
ought to be ashamed."
Unwittingly, she had used the right tone. He leant back in the chair and
stared at her with a mixture of resentment and amusement.
"You have plenty of confidence, anyhow, young lady," he said.
"And you have none," retorted Celia, with a dash of colour. "Fancy a man
of your age trying to--to kill himself!"
"My age!" He laughed mirthlessly, ironically. "You talk to me, look at
me, as if I were a boy."
"You are not much more," said Celia; "and a foolish one into the
bargain."
He pushed impatiently the short lock of hair from his forehead, which
was dank with sweat.
"Be that as it may," he said, "you have interfered most unwarrantably in
a matter which does not concern you. All the same, I suppose you expect
me to say that I am obliged to you. Well, I'm not; I don't like being
interfered with, especially--by a woman. You come into my room----" He
tried to rise with an air of dignity, but he sank back, as if he were
weak, and with his arms extended along those of the chair regarded her
with a grim smile of whimsicality. "Well, I suppose I ought to say I am
obliged to you. Consider that I have said it and--pray, don't let me
keep you."
Celia rose, the revolver still in her hand.
"Good night," she said.
"Here!" he called out to her, wearily; "give me back that thing; put it
down."
"Certainly not," said Celia, with decision. "You are not fit to be
trusted with it."
"Oh, am I not?" he said, sarcastically.
"You know you are not. What were you doing with it, what were you going
to do with it, when I came in?" she demanded.
"What an unnecessary question," he retorted. "I was going to shoot
myself, of course."
"Exactly. That is why I am taking it away from you."