Richard Forrest, Bachelor — page 100: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

MAKING A PROMISE. 91 thur was ‘‘all broken up,’’ as he would have expressed it, and he realized that he must be handled with gloves. Before waiting to hear the reply to his query, he unlocked a bottle of his choicest cognac and poured out some brandy, taking pains to dispose of the smaller quantity himself. But Arthur was too much engrossed in his own thoughts ~ to notice such a detail as that, and swallowed his at a mouthful. Replacing his glass upon the table, Arthur said: ‘‘T may as well come to the point. The last time I came to you, Dick, I was trying to escape a woman I didn’t know and didn’t care for; nowlam going away because I do know and docare for her. Rather a mixed up state of affairs, isn’t it?”’ Dick removed his pipe from his lips. He always smoked a pipe late at night. “You refer to Miss Clayton?’’ he said, slowly. ‘“‘Of course,’’ assented Arthur, impatiently; ‘‘to whom else? The woman who does up my shirts? Really, you are growing astute in your old age.”’ ‘‘You must bear in mind, my boy,’’ returned Dick, im- perturbably, ‘‘that you’ve not told me a syllable about this yet.’’ ‘“‘T thought you knew; there are things one finds out of one’s self,’’ announced Arthur, captiously. ‘‘Oh, yes,’’ acknowledged Dick; ‘‘I confess I did suspect something of the sort, but——’’ ‘‘Come, come,’’ cried Arthur, ‘‘you can be so provoking, Dick, when you choose! What shallI do? She refused me to-night. ’’ ‘‘Refused you?’’ repeated Dick. ‘‘Yes, and without pretending to give a reason for it. EGOmMmichbooks (€(0)