a somewhat heated discussion, in which
everybody but myself appeared to be taking extreme interest--of Miss
Sellars in her most ladylike and chilling tones defending me against the
charge of "being no gentleman," which Mrs. Peedles was explaining nobody
had said I wasn't. The argument seemed to be of the circular order. No
gentleman had ever kissed Miss Sellars who had not every right to do so,
nor ever would. To kiss Miss Sellars without such right was to declare
oneself no gentleman. Miss Sellars appealed to me to clear my character
from the aspersion of being no gentleman. I was trying to understand
the situation, when Jarman, seizing me somewhat roughly by the arm,
suggested my going to bed. Miss Sellars, seizing my other arm, suggested
my refusing to go to bed. So far I was with Miss Sellars. I didn't want
to go to bed, and said so. My desire to sit up longer was proof positive
to Miss Sellars that I was a gentleman, but to no one else. The argument
shifted, the question being now as to whether Miss Sellars were a lady.
To prove the point it was, according to Miss Sellars, necessary that
I should repeat I loved her. I did repeat it, adding, with faint
remembrance of my own fiction, that if a life's devotion was likely to
be of the slightest further proof, my heart's blood was at her
service. This cleared the air, Mrs. Peedles observing that under such
circumstances it only remained for her to withdraw everything she had
said; to which Miss Sellars replied graciously that she had always known
Mrs. Peedles to be a good sort at the bottom.

Nevertheless, gaiety was gone from among us, and for this, in some way
I could not understand, I appeared to be responsible. Jarman was
distinctly sulky. The O'Kelly, suddenly thinking of the time, went to
the door and discovered that the two cabs were waiting. The third floor
recollected that work had to be finished. I myself felt sleepy.

Our host and hostess departed; Jarman again suggested bed, and this
time I agreed with him. After a slight misunderstanding with the door, I
found myself upon the stairs. I had never noticed before that they
were quite perpendicular. Adapting myself to the changed conditions, I
climbed them with the help of my hands. I accomplished the last flight
somewhat quickly, and feeling tired, sat down the moment I was within
my own room. Jarman knocked at the door. I told him to come in; but he
didn't. It occurred to me that the reason was I was sitting