And not until the door had closed behind her did he suddenly smite himself upon the brow, ejaculating, "Dumbhead! Boob! Ivory above the neck, pure, solid ivory!"
For it penetrated to him that out of the kindness of her heart his lady had made for him an opening, an opportunity, which would certainly never occur again.
"The fact is," he muttered, turning away from that closed door, "I'm about as well fitted for society as Balaam's ass!"
An opinion in which at the moment Miss Darcy would have thoroughly concurred.
CHAPTER XXVI
Relations between them might have ended then and there, for Joan was not in the habit of casting her pearls before swine, and the confidence was rather crushed out of Archibald by a realization of his gross stupidity.
But Effie May was as persistent in her fancies as in other matters.
"Where's the eary one?" she asked Joan one Sunday afternoon following the usual influx of visitors. "He hasn't been around since I don't know when."
"How should I know? Probably towing some lady-typist by her elbow to a church social," replied Joan, yawning.