There was a fellow who came out with me, quite a good chap really, and a tremendous pal of mine at Eton, yet he behaved like a lunatic about this very thing.

Poor chap, he reads like anything, and I suppose he'd been overdoing it, for he actually asked me to choose between Mrs.Lascelles and himself! What could a fellow do but let the poor old simpleton go?
They seem to think you can't be pals with a woman without wanting to make love to her.

Such utter rot! I confess I lose my hair with them; but that doesn't excuse me in the least for losing it with you." I assured him, on the other hand, that his very natural irritability on the subject made all the difference in the world.

"But whom," I added, "do you mean by 'them'?
Not anybody else in the hotel ?" "Good heavens, no!" cried Bob, finding a fair target for his scorn at last.

"Do you think I care twopence what's said or thought by people I never saw in my life before and am never likely to see again?
I know how I'm behaving.