He was irritated to think that this should come up when he wished to have his thoughts for other purposes.

“Well, we may.  Jessica doesn’t want to stay until the end of the races.”

“What did you want with a season ticket, then?”

“Uh!” she said, using the sound as an exclamation of disgust, “I’ll not argue with you,” and therewith arose to leave the table.

“Say,” he said, rising, putting a note of determination in his voice which caused her to delay her departure, “what’s the matter with you of late?  Can’t I talk with you any more?”

“Certainly, you can talk with me,” she replied, laying emphasis on the word.

“Well, you wouldn’t think so by the way you act.  Now, you want to know when I’ll be ready—­not for a month yet.  Maybe not then.”

“We’ll go without you.”

“You will, eh?” he sneered.

“Yes, we will.”

He was astonished at the woman’s determination, but it only irritated him the more.

“Well, we’ll see about that.  It seems to me you’re trying to run things with a pretty high hand of late.  You talk as though you settled my affairs for me.  Well, you don’t.  You don’t regulate anything that’s connected with me.  If you want to go, go, but you won’t hurry me by any such talk as that.”

He was thoroughly aroused now.  His dark eyes snapped, and he crunched his paper as he laid it down.  Mrs. Hurstwood said nothing more.  He was just finishing when she turned on her heel and went out into the hall and upstairs.  He paused for a moment, as if hesitating, then sat down and drank a little coffee, and thereafter arose and went for his hat and gloves upon the main floor.

His wife had really not anticipated a row of this character.  She had come down to the breakfast table feeling a little out of sorts with herself and revolving a scheme which she had in her mind.  Jessica had called her attention to the fact that the races were not what they were supposed to be.  The social opportunities were not what they had thought they would be this year.  The beautiful girl found going every day a dull thing.  There was an earlier exodus this year of people who were anybody to the watering places and Europe.  In her own circle of acquaintances several young men in whom she was interested had gone to Waukesha.  She began to feel that she would like to go too, and her mother agreed with her.

Accordingly, Mrs. Hurstwood decided to broach the subject.  She was thinking this over when she came down to the table, but for some reason the atmosphere was wrong.  She was not sure, after it was all over, just how the trouble had begun.  She was determined now, however, that her husband was a brute, and that, under no circumstances, would she let this go by unsettled.  She would have more lady-like treatment or she would know why.

For his part, the manager was loaded with the care of this new argument until he reached his office and started from there to meet Carrie.  Then the other complications of love, desire, and opposition possessed him.  His thoughts fled on before him upon eagles’ wings.  He could hardly wait until he should meet Carrie face to face.  What was the night, after all, without her—­what the day?  She must and should be his.