And then he began to want to hurt her, too.  But that was mean—­besides, how could he hurt her?  She did not care for him.  He was nothing to her—­only a boy.  If she really thought him only a boy, who felt so old—­it would be horrible.  It flashed across him that she might be playing that young violinist against him!  No, she never would do that!  But the young beast looked just the sort that might take advantage of her smiles.  If only he would do something that was not respectful, how splendid it would be to ask him to come for a walk in the woods, and, having told him why, give him a thrashing.  Afterwards, he would not tell her, he would not try to gain credit by it.  He would keep away till she wanted him back.  But suddenly the thought of what he would feel if she really meant to take this young man as her friend in place of him became so actual, so poignant, so horribly painful, that he got up abruptly and went towards the door.  Would she not say a word to him before he got out of the room, would she not try and keep him?  If she did not, surely it would be all over; it would mean that anybody was more to her than he.  That little journey to the door, indeed, seemed like a march to execution.  Would she not call after him?  He looked back.  She was smiling.  But he could not smile; she had hurt him too much!  Turning his head away, he went out, and dashed into the rain bareheaded.  The feeling of it on his face gave him a sort of dismal satisfaction.  Soon he would be wet through.  Perhaps he would get ill.  Out here, far away from his people, she would have to offer to nurse him; and perhaps—­perhaps in his illness he would seem to her again more interesting than that young beast, and then—­Ah! if only he could be ill!

He mounted rapidly through the dripping leaves towards the foot of the low mountain that rose behind the hotel.  A trail went up there to the top, and he struck into it, going at a great pace.  His sense of injury began dying away; he no longer wanted to be ill.  The rain had stopped, the sun came out; he went on, up and up.  He would get to the top quicker than anyone ever had!  It was something he could do better than that young beast.  The pine-trees gave way to stunted larches, and these to pine scrub and bare scree, up which he scrambled, clutching at the tough bushes, terribly out of breath, his heart pumping, the sweat streaming into his eyes.  He had no feeling now but wonder whether he would get to the top before he dropped, exhausted.  He thought he would die of the beating of his heart; but it was better to die than to stop and be beaten by a few yards.  He stumbled up at last on to the little plateau at the top.  For full ten minutes he lay there on his face without moving, then rolled over.  His heart had given up that terrific thumping; he breathed luxuriously, stretched out his arms along the steaming grass—­felt happy.  It was wonderful up here, with the sun burning hot