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He flung aside the remaining shreds of decency in speech. "Do you mean to call me a liar?" he shouted. "Ah, Dr. Foxmore, would you also chastise me as well?" The doctor stood in helpless rage looking at the calm, smiling face. "I was a fool to come!" he blurted. "I would not presume to contradict you, nor to stand in the way of returning wisdom."
"That she is," said Smead enthusiastically, "and thoroughly straight, too!" "Oh," said Foxmore, "there's no lane but has a turning. And trust Bulling," he added coarsely, "for finding it out." "Well," said Bulling, with a knowing smile, "this little Lane is straight. Of course there may be a slight deflection. Nature's lines run in curves, you know." And again his wit provoked applauding laughter.
He stopped short, with a mighty effort recalling his reason. For a few moments he stood silent looking at the floor, then, raising his eyes, he let them rest upon the doctor, who was leaning against the wall, and, without a word, turned and slowly passed out of the room. "Gad!" said Foxmore, with a horrible gasp of relief, "if the devil looks like that I never want to see him."
"That is quite impossible, Dr. Foxmore! That could not happen!" "But I am telling you it did! I was present and saw it. It was this way " Iola put up her hand imperiously. "Dr. Foxmore," she said, recovering her self-command, "there is no need of words. I tell you it is quite impossible! It is quite impossible!" Dr. Foxmore's face flushed a deep red.
Foxmore, you have no idea what a relief it is to have one's affairs taken charge of in this way. It quite saves one the trouble of making up one's mind. Indeed, one hardly needs a mind at all." Iola's face and smile were those of innocent childhood. Dr. Foxmore shot a suspicious glance at her and hastened to change the subject. "Well, you will go next Saturday, will you not?"
Here was one of Dr. Bulling's friends, one of his toadies and he had a number of them who represented to her all that was most loathsome in her life. The effort to repress her disgust, however, only made her smile the sweeter. Foxmore was greatly encouraged. It was one of his fixed ideas that his manner was irresistible with "the sex."
"Yes," said Barney, still through his clenched teeth, "you are a cowardly liar!" The words came forth with terrible deliberation. "I could kill you with my hands as you stand. But I won't, you cur! I'll just do this." As he spoke he once more tightened his grip upon the throat and swung his open hand on the livid cheek. "For God's sake, Boyle," cried Foxmore, "let up! That's enough!"
"Quick, quick!" cried Barney, stepping lightly toward him on his toes, "say it quick!" His fingers were working convulsively. "Yes, yes, I was!" cried Foxmore, backing further away behind the others. "Yes," cried Barney, his voice rising hoarse, "you would all of you laugh at that brute ruin the name and honour of a lonely girl!"
But the whole question of the Philharmonic was involved, and this invitation was a flag of truce, as it were." "Your metaphors certainly have a warlike flavour, Dr. Foxmore; I cannot pretend to follow the workings of your mind. But seeing that this invitation has been secured at the expense of such effort on the part of Dr. Bulling and yourself, I rather think I shall decline it."
Bulling, who, more for his great wealth and his large social connection than for his professional standing, had been invited, was present with Foxmore, Smead, and others who followed him about applauding his coarse jokes and accepting his favours.
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