"  Estrangement,"  slie  repeated,  tranquilly.  "  That
is  the  real  word  for  it.  Because  the  c.d  intimacy  is
gone.     And  now  we  both  admit  it."

"  We  have  had  no  opportunity  to  be  together
this "

"  We  once  made  opportunities."

"  We  liave  had  no  time "

"  We  halted  time,  hastened  it,  dictated  to  it,  ruled
it — once."

"  Then  explain  it  otherwise  if  you  can."

"  I  am  trj'ing  to — with  God's  help.  Will  you  aid
me,  too?  "

Ker  sudden  seriousness  and  emotion   startled  him.
"  Louis,  if  our  estrangement  is  important  enough
for  us  to  notice  at  all,  it  is  important  enough  to  analyse,
isn't  it?"

"  I  have  analysed  the  reasons "

200


THE    COMMON   LAW


"Truthfully?"

"  I  think  so — as  far  as  I  have  gone "

"  Let  us  go  farther,  then — to  the  end."

"  But  there  is  no  particular  significance "

"Isn't  there?"

"  I  don't  know.  After  all,  ichy  did  you  leave  that
cafe?  Why  did  I?  Why  are  we  together,  now —
here  in  your  studio,  and  utterly  miserable  at  one  o'clock
of  the  New  Year's  morning?  For  you  and  I  are  un-
happy and  ill  at  ease ;  and  you  and  I  are  talking  at
cross  purposes,  groping,  evading,  fencing  with  words.
If  there  is  nothing  significant  in  the  friendship  we  gave
each  other  from  the  hour  we  met — it  is  not  worth  the
self-deception  you  are  content  with."

"  Self-deception  !  "  he  repeated,  flushing  up.
"  Yes.  Because  you  do  care  more  for  me  than
what  you  have  said  about  our  friendship  indicates.  .  ..
