"It is always so," said Monsieur Dupont, "with such men."
"He mixes chiefly in theatrical and bohemian circles—and often by no means the most desirable of those. The better people look askance on him—but he is supremely indifferent to the opinions of others, and to all the conventions. Whatever he takes it into his head to do he does, quite regardless of the approval or disapproval of other people. He is certainly not a man I would introduce to any woman who possessed even the smallest degree of physical attraction. He is supposed to be quite unscrupulous in the attainment of his objects."
"Most of us are," said Monsieur Dupont. "But we dislike to admit it."
He looked steadily out of the window for a moment.
"I wonder," he said, turning back, "what he does with the rest of that house."
"The rest of the house?" Tranter repeated.
"It is very large," said Monsieur Dupont. "It is large enough for twenty men."
"In this country," Tranter smiled, "there is no law against one man living in a house large enough for twenty, if he chooses."
"When only a small part of a house is used for ordinary purposes," remarked Monsieur Dupont, "the remainder is often used for extraordinary ones."
"You know as much of the house as I do," Tranter returned.