"'Did I? I don't remember it. Do _you_ remember my ordering
tait-de-whatever it calls itself?' he asked me earnestly.
"Well, I couldn't, and I said so.
"'If I did,' commanded Farrell, 'take it away and let me forget it.
This place is not what it was. . . . Take it away, you Corsican
Brother, and bring me the bill! Look here,' said he as Giovanni
departed. 'We'll get out of this and try something better. What do
you say to looking in at the Ritz?' He lit his cigar and poured out
more champagne.
"'As you like,' said I. 'Let's get out of this anyway. For my part,
I've had enough.'
"'Well, _I_ haven't,' said he, and fixed a stare on me.
'Oh, I see what you mean. I'm drunk. . . . It's no use your
pretending,' he caught me up argumentatively. 'I've taken too much
t'drink. Tiring day. Hope you're not a prude?'
"'Well then,' I confessed, 'it did strike me you were punishing the
other fellow a bit too fast in the opening rounds. But you walked
over to your corner, just now, steady as a soldier--'
"'Peculiarity of mine,' he explained. 'Ought t'have warned you.
Pages:
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126