neck, and you know it. I am no prude, James, but I feel compelled to
say that I consider your conduct that of a libertine. Used she to
walk alone?'
'Generally.'
'And, now, you love her, eh? You went on board that ship happy,
careless, heart-free. You came off it grave and saddened.
Thenceforth, for you, the world could contain but one--woman, and
her you had lost.'
Mifflin groaned in a hollow and bereaved manner, and took a sip from
his glass to buoy him up.
Jimmy moved restlessly on the sofa.
'Do you believe in love at first sight?' he asked, fatuously. He was
in the mood when a man says things, the memory of which makes him
wake up hot all over for nights to come.
'I don't see what first sight's got to do with it,' said Mifflin.
'According to your own statement, you stood and glared at the girl
for five days without letting up for a moment. I can quite imagine
that you might glare yourself into love with anyone by the end of
that time.'
'I can't see myself settling down,' said Jimmy, thoughtfully. 'And,
until you feel that you want to settle down, I suppose you can't be
really in love.'
'I was saying practically that about you at the club just before you
came in. My somewhat neat expression was that you were one of the
gypsies of the world.'
'By George, you're quite right!'
'I always am.'
'I suppose it's having nothing to do. When I was on the News, I was
never like this.'
'You weren't on the News long enough to get tired of it.'
'I feel now I can't stay in a place more than a week. It's having
this money that does it, I suppose.'
'New York,' said Mifflin, 'is full of obliging persons who will be
delighted to relieve you of the incubus. Well, James, I shall leave
you. I feel more like bed now. By the way, I suppose you lost sight
of this girl when you landed?'
'Yes.'
'Well, there aren't so many girls in the United States--only twenty
million. Or is it forty million? Something small. All you've got to
do is to search around a bit. Good-night.'
'Good-night.'
Mr. Mifflin clattered down the stairs. A minute later, the sound of
his name being called loudly from the street brought Jimmy to the
window. Mifflin was standing on the pavement below, looking up.
'Jimmy.'
'What's the matter now?'
'I forgot to ask. Was she a blonde?'
'What?'
'Was she a blonde?' yelled Mifflin.
'No,' snapped Jimmy.
