They had their limitations to forget, and when they were drunk, their dim, stupid spirits were even as gods, and each ruled in his heaven of intoxicated desire.

With Martin the need for strong drink had vanished.
He was drunken in new and more profound ways--with Ruth, who had fired him with love and with a glimpse of higher and eternal life; with books, that had set a myriad maggots of desire gnawing in his brain; and with the sense of personal cleanliness he was achieving, that gave him even more superb health than what he had enjoyed and that made his whole body sing with physical well-being.
One night he went to the theatre, on the blind chance that he might see her there, and from the second balcony he did see her.

He saw her come down the aisle, with Arthur and a strange young man with a football mop of hair and eyeglasses, the sight of whom spurred him to instant apprehension and jealousy.

He saw her take her seat in the orchestra circle, and little else than her did he see that night--a pair of slender white shoulders and a mass of pale gold hair, dim with distance.

But there were others who saw, and now and again, glancing at those about him, he noted two young girls who looked back from the row in front, a dozen seats along, and who smiled at him with bold eyes.