with considerable vehemence on the bridge of the nose. For the moment
Roland fancied that the roof of the Regent Grill-room must have fallen
in; and, as this would automatically put an end to the party, he was
not altogether sorry. He had never been to a theatrical supper-party
before, and within five minutes of his arrival at the present one he
had become afflicted with an intense desire never to go to a theatrical
supper-party again. To be a success at these gay gatherings one must
possess dash; and Roland, whatever his other sterling qualities, was a
little short of dash.

The young man on the other side of the table was quite nice about it.
While not actually apologizing, he went so far as to explain that it
was "old Gerry" whom he had had in his mind when he started the roll on
its course. After a glance at old Gerry--a chinless child of about
nineteen--Roland felt that it would be churlish to be angry with a
young man whose intentions had been so wholly admirable. Old Gerry had
one of those faces in which any alteration, even the comparatively
limited one which a roll would be capable of producing, was bound to be
for the better. He smiled a sickly smile and said that it didn't
matter.

The charming creature who sat on his assailant's left, however, took a
more serious view of the situation.

"Sidney, you make me tired," she said severely. "If I had thought you
didn't know how to act like a gentleman I wouldn't have come here with
you. Go away somewhere and throw bread at yourself, and ask Mr. Bleke
to come and sit by me. I want to talk to him."

That was Roland's first introduction to Miss Billy Verepoint.