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"
He sniffed uncertainly at the remark for a second or two and then
broke into a laugh and asked me to play bridge after dinner. On the two
preceding evenings he and I had attempted to cheer, in this manner,
the desolation of a couple of the elderly maiden ladies. But I may
say, parenthetically, that as he played bridge as if he were leading a
cavalry charge according to a text-book on tactics, and as I play card
games in a soft, mental twilight, and as the two ladies were very keen
bridge players indeed, I had great doubts as to the success of our
attempts.
"I'm sorry," said I, "but I'm going down into the town to-night."
"Theatre? If so, I'll go with you."
The gallant gentleman was always at a loose end. Unless he could
persuade another human being to do something with him--no matter
what--he would joyfully have played cat's cradle with me by the hour--he
sat in awful boredom meditating on his liver.
"I'm not going to the theatre," I said, "and I wish I could ask you to
accompany me on my adventure.


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