It was monstrous, abnormal. I hated the abominable indelicacy of
weighing one against the other, as I had hated the idea of their
meeting.
I paced my bird-cage until it shrank to the size of a rat-trap. Then
I clapped on my hat and fled down into the streets. I jumped into the
first cab I saw and bade the driver take me to Barbara's Building.
Campion suddenly occurred to me as the best antidote to the poison that
had entered my blood.
I found him alone, clearing from the table the remains of supper. In
spite of his soul's hospitable instincts, he stared at me.
"Why, what the----?"
"Yes, I know. You're surprised to see me bursting in on you like a wild
animal. I'm not going to do it every night, but this evening I claim a
bit of our old friendship."
"Claim it all, my dear de Gex!" he said cordially. "What can I do for
you?"
It was characteristic of Campion to put his question in that form.
Ninety-nine men out of a hundred would have asked what was the matter
with me. But Campion, who all his life had given, wanted to know what he
could co.
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