to-night in your case," she continued.

It was a sore temptation to Peter, but he answered quickly, "Thank you
for the thought, but I won't this evening."

"You have smoked after dinner already?"

"No. I tried to keep my pipe lighted in the street, but it blew and
sleeted too hard."

"Then you had better."

"Thank you, no."

Miss De Voe thought her former thought again.

"Where do you generally dine?" she asked.

"I have no regular place. Just where I happen to be."

"And to-night?"

Peter was not good at dodging. He was silent for a moment. Then he said,
"I saw rather a curious thing, as I was walking up. Would you like to
hear about it?"

Miss De Voe looked at him curiously, but she did not seem particularly
interested in what Peter had to tell her, in response to her "yes." It
concerned an arrest on the streets for drunkenness.