I had just received a check from Derek, and had insisted on
spending most of it for a spread for all of us, including a whopping
beefsteak.
And we ate and joked and enjoyed ourselves just like the bourgeoisie.
* * * * *
If Penton only had had a sense of humour ... but this I never detected
in him.
Even at singing classes, which I attended one evening with him ... his
whole entourage, in fact....
With solemn face he sang high, and always off key, till the three women
had to stuff their handkerchiefs in their mouths to keep from laughing
at him before his face....
After class, we strolled home by a devious path, through the moonlight.
This time Ruth walked ahead with little Dan, Hildreth with her husband,
Penton,--Darrie with me....
"Drag back a little, Johnnie ... Penton and Hildreth are having a
private heart-to-heart talk, I can tell by their voices."
We hung back till they disappeared around a bend. We were alone. Darrie
began to laugh and laugh and laugh.... "Oh, it's so funny, I shall die
laughing"....
* * * * *
"Why--why, what's the matter!"
For I saw tears streaming down the girl's face in the moonlight.
"It's so awful," replied Darrie, now crying quietly, "--so tragic ...
yet I had to laugh ... I'm so sorry for Penton ... for both of them....
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