"Clear out--clear out or I'll do for you--get out of
my house--"
"Certainly."
Cards opened the door and was gone. Peter heard him hesitate for a moment
in the hall, get his hat and coat and then close the hall-door after him.
The house was suddenly silent. Peter stood, his hands clenched. Then he
went out into the hall.
He heard Mrs. Rossiter's voice from above--"Aren't you two men ever coming
up?"
"Jerry's gone."
"Gone?"
"Yes--we've had a row."
Mrs. Rossiter made no reply. He heard the drawing-room door close. Then he,
too, took his coat and hat and went out.
V
The night was cool and sweet with a great silver haze of stars above the
sharply outlined roofs and chimneys. The golden mist from the streets met
the night air and mingled with it.
Peter walked furiously, without thinking of direction. Some clock struck
half-past nine. His temper faded swiftly, leaving him cold, miserable,
regretful. There went his damnable temper again, surging up suddenly so hot
and fierce that it had control of him almost before he knew that it was
there. How like him, too! Now when things were bad enough, when he must
bend all his energies to bringing peace back into the house again, he must
needs go and quarrel with the best friend he had in the world. He had never
quarrelled with Cards before, never had there been the slightest word
between them, and now he had insulted him so that, probably, he would never
come into their house again.
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