Page 227 - tender-is-the-night

girl you might have—oh, slush, you know what I mean.’
He was in for it now, possessed by a vast irrationality. She
was so near that he felt his breathing change but again his
training came to his aid in a boy’s laugh and a trite remark.
‘You’re teasing yourself, my dear. Once I knew a man
who fell in love with his nurse—‘ The anecdote rambled on,
punctuated by their footsteps. Suddenly Nicole interrupted
in succinct Chicagoese: ‘Bull!’
‘That’s a very vulgar expression.’
‘What about it?’ she flared up. ‘You don’t think I’ve got
any common sense—before I was sick I didn’t have any, but
I have now. And if I don’t know you’re the most attractive
man I ever met you must think I’m still crazy. It’s my hard
luck, all right—but don’t pretend I don’t KNOW—I know
everything about you and me.’
Dick was at an additional disadvantage. He remembered
the statement of the elder Miss Warren as to the young doc-
tors that could be purchased in the intellectual stockyards
of the South Side of Chicago, and he hardened for a mo-
ment. ‘You’re a fetching kid, but I couldn’t fall in love.’
‘You won’t give me a chance.’
‘WHAT!’
The impertinence, the right to invade implied, astound-
ed him. Short of anarchy he could not think of any chance
that Nicole Warren deserved.
‘Give me a chance now.’
The voice fell low, sank into her breast and stretched the
tight bodice over her heart as she came up close. He felt the
young lips, her body sighing in relief against the arm grow-

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