With a tact upon which I greatly prided myself,
I sauntered carelessly to the sideboard and took
some brandy and water; then, begging his pardon
for my thoughtlessness, asked him to have some
and went back to my seat by the fire, leaving him
to help himself, as was our custom. He did so and
presently joined me at the hearth, as tranquil as
ever.
This odd little incident occurred in my apartment,
where John Bartine was passing an evening. We had
dined together at the club, had come home in a cab
and--in short, everything had been done in the
most prosaic way; and why John Bartine should
break in upon the natural and established order of
things to make himself spectacular with a display
of emotion, apparently for his own entertainment,
I could nowise understand. The more I thought
of it, while his brilliant conversational gifts were
commending themselves to my inattention, the more
curious I grew, and of course had no difficulty in
persuading myself that my curiosity was friendly
solicitude. That is the disguise that curiosity usually
assumes to evade resentment. So I ruined one of
the finest sentences of his disregarded monologue by
cutting it short without ceremony.
'John Bartine,' I said, 'you must try to forgive
me if I am wrong, but with the light that I have
at present I cannot concede your right to go all to
pieces when asked the time o' night. I cannot admit
that it is proper to experience a mysterious reluc-
tance to look your own watch in the face and to
cherish in my presence, without explanation, painful
emotions which are denied to me, and which are
none of my business.
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