He returned to his desk and pressed the buzzer that would summon Ruth Frazer with book and pencil. She entered almost instantly, and as their eyes met she smiled her famous smile. It was a thing of light and brightness, compelling response. In his mood it acted as a stimulant to Bonbright.
"Thank you," he said, involuntarily.
"For what?" she asked, raising her brows.
"For—why, I'm sure I don't know," he said. "I don't know why I said that…. Will you take some letters, please?"
He began dictating slowly, laboriously. It was a new work to him, and he went about it clumsily, stopping long between words to arrange his thoughts. His attention strayed. He leaned back in his chair, dictation forgotten for the moment, staring at Ruth Frazer without really being conscious of her presence. She waited patiently. Presently he leaned forward and addressed a question to her:
"Did you and Mr. Dulac mention me as you walked home?"
"Yes," she said.
"Would it be—impertinent," he asked, "to inquire what you said?"
She wrinkled her brows to aid recollection.
"Mr. Dulac," she replied, "wondered what you were up to. That was how he expressed it. He thought it was peculiar—your asking to know him."