She was not going to be brought to book as though she had been a naughty child.
"You had yourself alone to thank for it," she declared with indignation.
"If--if you hadn't interfered and behaved intolerably, it wouldn't have happened." "What a naive way of expressing it!" said Max.

"Shall I tell you how I regard the 'happening' ?" "You can do as you like," she flung back.

She was longing to go, but stood her ground lest departure should look like flight.
Max took out and lighted another cigarette before he spoke again.

Then: "I regard it," he said very deliberately, "as a piece of spiteful mischief for which you deserve a sound whipping--which it would give me immense pleasure to administer." Olga's pale face flamed scarlet.

Her eyes flashed up to his in fiery disdain.
"You!" she said, with withering scorn.