mind telling you as a friend that I personally would not degrade myself
by speaking to her, and of course you know that the hair she wears is
not her own. I haven't a thing in the world against the poor creature,
but it has been breathed around the company that she is not all she
should be. Of course, I don't know positively, but it is what everybody
says, and I only wish she would make good with that four bits of mine."

"Well, I'm glad there's no hard feeling between you two, as I would like
to meet her."

"I'm very sorry, but you will have to pardon me if I refuse to give you
a knockdown, for I would steer no friend of a friend of mine up against
a flim flam where there's so many nice girls running loose. Take Tessie
Samonies, for example, she ain't very pretty, but she's awfully cute,
and after she gets a couple of sloe gins boosted into her she certainly
is the life of the party."

"All right, frame it up for me and I'll open wine or a window or
something to show that I'm a true sport."

"You bet I will, and we'll have a nice little family party, no knocking
or nothing; just sit and talk real friendly like."

"That's the idea and if anyone starts the anvil chorus they get the
skiddo. What? Who will we have?"

"Well, let's see, we'll have Tessie and you, me and Silent Murphy
here--and let's see who else?"

"Joe Zeweibaum and Miss Veronique."