A quick glance at Gallito
failed to restore her confidence. There was a look upon his face which
did not betoken any expectation of defeat. Again she shivered; he had
spoken truly, he was not one to plead, and he would not be here unless
he felt that he was in possession of certain arguments which must
inevitably coerce her to yield.
"Now, Pearl," his tone was still placating, "for your own sake and for
the sake of your future, I am not willing that you should miss this
great offer which Sweeney has made you. You have already treated him
badly once. He knows he cannot depend on you. How many times do you
think he will stand that? You can't afford to do it. I have been holding
him off and holding him off until I can't do it any more, and we must
now come to a final agreement. And one thing more," he stopped a second
to light another cigarette, "what about Hughie? You and he have worked
out a lot of dances together. He's got his heart set on traveling with
you and playing for you. I don't see how you got the heart to spoil all
his plans." For the first time there was a touch of real emotion in his
voice; it was Hughie, not Pearl, who held the first place in his heart.
A quiver passed over Pearl's face. "Oh, I am sorry about Hughie," she
cried, "but what can I do? I can't leave Harry. It's no use asking me to
do that." She looked up at Gallito and, in spite of her tears, there was
an immovable resolve on her face and, seeing this, a slow, dark flush
crept up her father's cheeks.
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