Pinac and Fico shook their heads, mainly because they were mystified.
"I haven't been sociable lately; not at all like myself," went on Miss Husted, "I'm so upset."
"That's all right," said Fico, who didn't know what else to say.
"Sure," nodded Pinac, who felt he had to add his share to the conversation; then they picked up their music and started to leave the room, but Miss Husted held up her hand and signified that she wanted them to remain. When they came back to her she looked around the room pathetically once more, and began plaintively:
"I said to myself, 'These foreign gentlemen will miss your cheery word in the hall and on the stairs.'"
The men began to feel very uncomfortable, for they had missed nothing. Pinac thought she referred in some way to Poons, and tried to catch his eye and motion to him to get out of the room, but that lovelorn youth was mooning out of the window, so Pinac nodded sympathetically at Miss Husted and said, "Oui, oui. Yes, oh, yes!"
Fico looked very grave and muttered: "Too bad; too bad!"
Again Miss Husted looked around the room very mysteriously and motioned to the men to come closer. They obeyed, somewhat apprehensively this time.
"What did it all mean?" they thought. "Why this mystery?"
"I've something to tell you in confidence," she said finally. She tried to open her reticule and finding Skippy in the way, she handed the little animal to Fico, saying: