im as prey
wished to find a quiet place to be eloquent about the plot.

"There's a deck two below," said the aspirant for fame, "where nobody
prowls except a young female panther tied up in a veil."

Five minutes later Peter Rolls took off his cap to the female panther.
The playwright noticed this, but was too much interested in himself
and the hope of securing a capitalist to care. In sketching out his
comedy he was blind to any other possibilities of drama, and so did
not see Peter's eagerness to get rid of him. He was even pleased when,
after a few compliments, Rolls junior said: "Look here, you'd better
leave me to think over what you've told me. I fix things in my memory
that way. And maybe when I've got it straight in my head
I'll--er--mention it to a man I know."

As the playwright was shivering, he obeyed with alacrity; and in the
warmth of the smoking-room revelled in the picture of his tame
capitalist pacing a cold deck, lost to the sea's welter in thoughts of
that marvellous last act.

But it was a first act which was engaging Peter Rolls's attention, and
he, though the only male character in it (by choice), had to learn his
part as he went on.

The play began by his joining the leading lady. (This has been done
before, but seldom with such a lurch and on such sloping boards.)

It would have been a mockery to say "good evening" on a night so vile,
and Mr. Rolls began by asking Miss Child if he might walk with her.

"Or tango," said she. "This deck is teaching me some wonderful new
steps."

"I wish you'd teach them to me," said Peter.

"I can't, but the ship can."

"Did you ever dance the tango?" he wanted to know.

"Yes. In another state of existence."

This silenced him for an instant. Then he skipped at least two
speeches ahead, whither his thoughts had flown. "Say, Miss Child, I
wish you'd tell me something about yourself."

"There isn't anything interesting to tell, thank you, Mr. Rolls."

"If that's your only reason, I think you might let me judge. Honestly,
I don't want to intrude or be curious. But you're so different from
the others."

"I know I'm not pretty. That's why I have to be so painfully sweet. I
got the engagement only by a few extra inches. Luckily it isn't the
face matters so much," she chattered on. "I thought it was. But it's
legs; their being long; Mme. Nadine engages on that and your figure
being right for the dresses of the year. So many pretty girls come in
short o