“Bought it?”
“Bought it. I happened to have ten thousand and I bought it with that.”
Patricia tried to speak, but no words would come.
She began to tremble.
The man put an arm about her and guided her to a chair.
“Listen, dear,” he said, and told her his tale.
When he had finished—
“Why,” said Patricia slowly, “why did you put so much on? Four hundred on an outsider’s the bet of a desperate man.”
“Oh, I don’t know,” said Simon, regarding his feet. “I suppose one goes mad now and then. Wonderful shoes Stoop makes. D’you know he made me these before the War?”
“Why did you put so much on?”