"I didn't mean you, old chap," said George, with a penitence
which showed that he had meant me.

"Oh, all right, all right," said I.

"But when a man's really far gone there's nothing else in the
world but it."

"That seems to me not to be a healthy condition," said I.

"Healthy? Oh, you old idiot, Sam! Who's talking of health?
Now, only last night I met her at a dance. I had five dances
with her--talked to her half the evening, in fact. Well, you'd
think that would last some time, wouldn't you?"

"I should certainly have supposed so," I assented.

"So it would with most chaps, I dare say, but with me--confound
it, I feel as if I hadn't seen her for six months!"

"But, my dear George, that's surely rather absurd? As you tell
me, you spent a long while with the young person--"

"The--young person!"

"You've not told me her name, you see."

"No, and I shan't. I wonder if she'll be at the Musgraves'
tonight!"