dn't missed fire--by which straight shot
indeed she would have shattered the general cohesion. And if the
cohesion was to crumble what would become of poor Pemberton? He felt
quite enough bound up with them to figure to his alarm as a dislodged
block in the edifice.

It was Morgan who eventually asked if no supper had been ordered for him;
sitting with him below, later, at the dim delayed meal, in the presence
of a great deal of corded green plush, a plate of ornamental biscuit and
an aloofness marked on the part of the waiter. Mrs. Moreen had explained
that they had been obliged to secure a room for the visitor out of the
house; and Morgan's consolation--he offered it while Pemberton reflected
on the nastiness of lukewarm sauces--proved to be, largely, that his
circumstance would facilitate their escape. He talked of their
escape--recurring to it often afterwards--as if they were making up a
"boy's book" together. But he likewise expressed his sense that there
was something in the air, that the Moreens couldn't keep it up much
longer. In point of fact, as Pemberton was to see, they kept it up for
five or six months. All the while, however, Morgan's contention was
designed to cheer him. Mr. Moreen and Ulick, whom he had met the day
after his return, accepted that return like perfect men of the world. If
Paula and Amy treated it even with less formality an allowance was to be
made for them, inasmuch as Mr. Granger hadn't come to the opera after
all. He had only placed his box at their service, with a bouquet for
each of the party; there was even one apiece, embittering the thought of
his profusion, for Mr. Moreen and Ulick. "They're all like that," was
Morgan's comment; "at the very last, just when we think we've landed them
they're back in the deep sea!"

Morgan's comments in these days were more and more free; they even
included a large recognition of the extraordinary tenderness with which
he had been treated while Pemberton was away. Oh yes, they couldn't do
enough to be nice to him, to show him they had him on their mind and make
up for his loss. That was just what made the whole thing so sad and
caused him to rejoice after all in Pemberton's return--he had to keep
thinking of their affection less, had less sense of obligation. Pemberton
laughed out at this last reason, and Morgan blushed and said: "Well, dash
it, you know what I mean." Pemberton knew perfectly what he meant; but
there were a good ma