I was shocked. “You surely don’t believe in desecrating nature! Sermons in stones, if you will, but not sermons on stones. You wouldn’t letter the Palisades if you had a chance, would you?”
He edged away from me, and said:
“Oh, no, I wouldn’t letter the Palisades, although I dare say my man of affairs would be glad to.”
Then I gave up. His man of affairs! He must be a gentleman of leisure to have a man of affairs.
And then up came Ticknor Fields, the dramatic critic, and said: “How do you do, Mr. Cavendish? Let me congratulate you upon your success as Richelieu. At last a successor to Booth has been found.”
I went and drank a glass of iced water. My throat was dry.
IX
INSTINCT SUPPLIED TO HENS
