Page 471 - of-human-bondage-

The desire was so great that he could not give the time
necessary to walk, but jumped in a cab. He was too thrifty
to use one when it could possibly be avoided. He stood out-
side the shop for a minute or two. The thought came to him
that perhaps she had left, and in terror he walked in quickly.
He saw her at once. He sat down and she came up to him.
‘A cup of tea and a muffin, please,’ he ordered.
He could hardly speak. He was afraid for a moment that
he was going to cry.
‘I almost thought you was dead,’ she said.
She was smiling. Smiling! She seemed to have forgot-
ten completely that last scene which Philip had repeated to
himself a hundred times.
‘I thought if you’d wanted to see me you’d write,’ he an-
swered.
‘I’ve got too much to do to think about writing letters.’
It seemed impossible for her to say a gracious thing. Phil-
ip cursed the fate which chained him to such a woman. She
went away to fetch his tea.
‘Would you like me to sit down for a minute or two?’ she
said, when she brought it.
‘Yes.’
‘Where have you been all this time?’
‘I’ve been in London.’
‘I thought you’d gone away for the holidays. Why haven’t
you been in then?’
Philip looked at her with haggard, passionate eyes.
‘Don’t you remember that I said I’d never see you again?’
‘What are you doing now then?’

0 Of Human Bondage