d braced him up too; but blamed if I'd expect just a
shave and a few open-face clothes could change a human ruin into such a
perky lookin' gent as this that leans back graceful against the leather
cushions and lights up one of Mr. Robert's imported cigarettes.
Course, the eye hollows hadn't been filled in, nor the face wrinkles
ironed out; but somehow they only gives him a sort of a distinguished
look. And now that his shoulders ain't slumped, and he's holdin' his
chin up once more, he's almost ornamental. He don't even seem
embarrassed at meetin' Mr. Robert again. If anyone was fussed, it was
the boss.

"Well?" says he, as we gets settled in the cozy corner.

"Seems natural as life here; eh, Bob?" says Bunny, glancin' around
approvin'. "And it's nearly four years since I--er----"

"Since you were kicked out," adds Mr. Robert. "See here, Bunny--just
because I've helped you out of the gutter when I thought you were half
dead, don't run away with the idea that I've either forgotten or
forgiven!"

"Oh, quite so," says he. "I'm not asking that."

"Then you've no excuse," goes on Mr. Robert, "for the sneaking,
cowardly way in which you left little Sally Slater waiting in her
bridal gown, the house full of wedding guests, while you ran off with
that unspeakable DeBrett person?"

"No," says Bunny, flippin' his cigarette ashes off jaunty, "no excuse
worthy of the name."

"Cad!" says Mr. Robert.

Bunny shrugs his shoulders. "Precisely," says he. "But you are not
making the discovery for the first time, are you? You knew Sally was
far too good for me. Everyone did, even Brother Melly. It couldn't
have been much of a secret to either of you how deep I was with the
DeBrett too. Yet you wanted me to go on with Sally. Why? Because the
governor hadn't chucked me overboard then, because I could still keep
up a front?"

"You might have taken a brace," says Mr. Robert.

"Not I!" says Bunny. "Anyway, not after Trixie DeBrett got hold of me.
The trouble was, Bob, you didn't half appreciate her. She had beauty,
brains, wit, a thousand fascinations, and no more soul than a she boa
constrictor. I was just a rabbit to her, a meal. She thought the
governor would buy her off, say, for a couple hundred thousand or so.
I suppose he would too, if it hadn't been for the Sally complication.
He thought a lot of little Sally. And the way it happened was too raw.
I don't blame him, mind you, nor any of you. I don't even