t have to give it away.'

"'I repeat I'm sorry to have bothered you.'

"'I'll see you again; to-morrow perhaps--'

"'I shall be very busy to-morrow. To-day's a holiday.'

"'A holiday! Anyway I haven't the abstract.'

"'Unnecessary. I said I knew all about the place. I see the deed there in
your pocket. You anticipated, I see.'

"'Well, of all the inexplicable hurry!'

"'Shall I write you a check for--fifteen thousand?'"

Darley Roberts halted. For the third time he laughed.

"You gather, perhaps," he said, "that I bought a house this morning.
Afterward I bought a few other things--just a few. After that I
moved in; into two rooms. I've had rather a busy day, all told,
celebrating--celebrating December the sixth.... How about it, Elice,
now that I've elaborated. Any signs of senility, irresponsibility,
yet?"

"No," very steadily. "It seems perfectly natural to me for a man to want
a house."

"Perhaps you're right. Yes; I do want a house, no doubt about it;
particularly that house. I've been intending to own it sometime for quite
a spell--for some eight years now; to be exact, since the time I saw it
before.... You know the place, don't you?"

"Yes, very well."

"I fancied so.... By the way, do you recall that--occasion I referred
to?"

"Indistinctly."

"I fancied that too.... You don't remember by any chance what a lion I
was that night?"

"No, Mr. Roberts."

"Not 'no, Darley'?"

"No."

"Not even yet; and it's been a year!... As I was about to say, though, I
recall distinctly. I remember I had a perfectly delightful
time--listening to the others' conversation. Likewise dancing--with
myself in a shadowy corner. Also eating lunch--with myself later. I had
ample time to think--and I decided eventually that there'd been a slight
mistake somehow when my name got on the list.... I liked the house,
though, very much; so much that I decided to buy it sometime--at a
nominal figure. I didn't feel peculiarly generous that night when I made
the decision.... Last of all, I recall I met a girl; rather young then,
but rather pleasant also, I thought. She talked to me for an entire
minute. I know because I held my breath the while, and that's my limit.
She was the only one who apparently did see me that night, though.
Perhaps her being rather young was why."

The voice ceased. The speaker looked at the listener. Simultaneously the
listener looked at the speaker. They smiled, companionably,
understandingly.