"I'm in an awful mess. Best thing you can do is to pretend not to know
me."

"Why, Gordon?"

"I'm sorry I cut in on you--its unfair to you. You're pure woman--and
all that sort of thing. Here, I'll get some one else to dance with
you."

He rose clumsily to his feet, but she reached up and pulled him down
beside her on the stairs.

"Here, Gordon. You're ridiculous. You're hurting me. You're acting
like a--like a crazy man--"

"I admit it. I'm a little crazy. Something's wrong with me, Edith.
There's something left me. It doesn't matter."

"It does, tell me."

"Just that. I was always queer--little bit different from other boys.
All right in college, but now it's all wrong. Things have been
snapping inside me for four months like little hooks on a dress, and
it's about to come off when a few more hooks go. I'm very gradually
going loony."

He turned his eyes full on her and began to laugh, and she shrank away
from him.