She was trembling so that her knees sent little ripples down the tight white silk drop-skirt.

“You can’t ditch me like this and get away with it.  You and me can’t—­can’t part peaceful.  You can’t throw me over after all these years for a little squint-eyed hank and get away with it!  By Heaven! you can’t!”

He drew tight fists to his sides, his lower jaw shot forward.  “You start a row here and, by gad! if I don’t—­”

“I ain’t!  I ain’t!  But don’t throw me over, Max, after all these years!  Don’t, Max!  You need me.  There ain’t a woman on God’s earth will do for you what I will.  I—­I ’ain’t got nobody but you, Max, to do for.  I tell you, Max, you—­you need me.  Think, dear, all them months when the customs was after you.  Them hot days when you couldn’t show your face, and I used to put you to bed and fan and fan you eight hours straight till you forgot to be scared and fell asleep like a baby.”

“Now, now, Mae, I—­”

“Them nights we used to mix a few drinks when we came home from a show or something and sit right here in this room and swill ’em off, laffing and laffing till we got a little lit up.  That time when we sneaked down to Sheepshead and you lost your wad at the wheel and I won it back for you.  All them times, Max!  That—­that Christmas Eve you sneaked away from your old woman!  Remember?  I tell you, Max, you can’t throw me over after what we been through together, and get away with it.  You can’t, not by a damn sight!  You can’t!”

In spite of herself her voice would slip up, raucous sobs tore through her words, tears rained down her frankly distorted face, carrying their bitter taste of salt to her lips.

“You can’t!  You can’t!  I ’ain’t got the strength!  I ’ain’t got a thing in life that ain’t wrapped around you.  I can’t go back to hit or miss like—­like I could ten years ago.  I ’ain’t got nothing saved out of it all but you.  Don’t try to ditch me, Max!  Don’t!  I—­I’ll walk on my knees for you.  I—­”

“For God’s sake, Mae, I—­”

“If there’s a way to raise two times fifteen thou for you, Max, I—­I’ll raise it.  I’ll find a way, Max.  I tell you I will!  I’m lucky at the wheel, Max.  You watch and see.  You just watch and see.  I can work.  Max, I—­”

“Get up, Mae, get up.  There’s a good girl.  Get up and—­”

“I’ll work my fingers down, Max, only don’t try to ditch me, don’t try to ditch me!  I’ll go out to the country where your old woman can’t ever sniff me.  I—­I’ll fix it, Max, so you—­so you just can’t lose.  Don’t ditch me, dear; take your Maizie back.  Take me in your arms and call me Maizie.  Take me!”

“Girl, ’ain’t you—­’ain’t you got no shame!”

“Just try me back for a month, Max.  For a month, Max, and see if—­if I don’t fix things so they come out right.  Gimme a month, Max!  Gimme, Max!  Gimme!  Gimme!”