He went toward the door again, hesitated, and came back. Jinky had vanished now, through the card room.
“All right!” he said to himself. “Let them have a little more rope!”
VII
Jinky met Serena coming down the stairs. There had been no love lost between these two. They had never been friends, and Serena, with the memory of more than one petty blow dealt to Jinky, expected no mercy from her now. She was about to pass with a vague, strained smile, when the girl stopped her.
“You’ll have to try another line, Serena,” she said. “No use pretending that Sambo wasn’t here.”
“Oh, let me alone!” cried Serena desperately. “Don’t I know that?”
“Well, look here,” said Jinky thoughtfully. “Where is he, anyhow?”
“Down on the shore road, waiting for me. We were going to run over to the Abercrombies’ in his car. If I don’t show up, he’ll come back here, and they’ll telephone. Oh, Jinky, I’m—”
“Hold up a minute! Let’s see! No use in my going—Jesse would tag along; but the Moriarty girl could go.”
“Moriarty!” cried Serena. “You’re simply insane, Jinky! Why, she’s the most—”