)
Towards the fall of dusk the more dreadful symptoms which attend upon
a sudden cessation of the use of cocaine by a victim of cocainophagia
began to assert themselves again. Rita searched wildly in the lining
of her jewel-case to discover if even a milligram of the drug had by
chance fallen there from the little gold box. But the quest was in
vain.
As a final resort she determined to go to Margaret Halley again.
She hurried to Dover Street, and her last hope was shattered. Margaret
was out, and Janet had no idea when she was likely to return. Rita had
much ado to prevent herself from bursting into tears. She scribbled a
few lines, without quite knowing what she was writing, sealed the
paper in an envelope, and left it on Margaret's table.
Of returning to Prince's Gate and dressing for the evening she had
only a hazy impression. The hammer-beats in her head were depriving
her of reasoning power, and she felt cold, numbed, although a big fire
blazed in her room. Then as she sat before her mirror, drearily
wondering if her face really looked as drawn and haggard as the image
in the glass, or if definite delusions were beginning, Nina came in
and spoke to her. Some moments elapsed before Rita could grasp the
meaning of the girl's words.
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