"She sent me to call you." "Well, do you think I'm going to---- Oh, well, I suppose she wants to be unpleasant, and knows she loses a certain mental position if she comes over here, but if she meets me in your place she can be as infernally disagreeable as she---- That's it, I'll bet." When they entered the den Florinda was gazing from the window.

Her back was toward the door.
At last she turned to them, holding herself very straight.

"Well, Billie Hawker," she said grimly, "you don't seem very glad to see a fellow." "Why, heavens, did you think I was going to turn somersaults in the air ?" "Well, you didn't come out when you heard me pass your door," said Florinda, with gloomy resentment.
Hawker appeared to be ruffled and vexed.

"Oh, great Scott!" he said, making a gesture of despair.
Florinda returned to the window.

In the ensuing conversation she took no part, save when there was an opportunity to harry some speech of Hawker's, which she did in short contemptuous sentences.