"What you found to like in Gerard Malcolm, and what Gerard
Malcolm found to like in you, and what he said and what you said
and what the Englishman said, and how it all happened generally."

"What you want to know would fill a book."

"You speak as if you mean it to be a sealed one."

"I don't see exactly what claim you have to be a reader."

"Well, I was the first person to love you," I said. "Surely that
ought to count for something. It didn't last long, I know, but
it was a wild business while it did. When I discovered you were
just out for scalps--"

"And when I discovered you were the most conceited, monopolizing,
jealous, troublesome and exacting man that ever lived, and that I
was expected to play kitten while you did demon child--"

"Oh, of course, it was a mistake," I said quickly. "The illusion
couldn't be kept up on either side. We only, really got chummy
after we called it off."

"The trouble was that we were both scalpers, and when we decided
to let each other alone--in that way, I mean--we built up a
pleasant professional acquaintance on the ashes of the dead
fires."

"Can't you make it a little warmer than acquaintance?" I