"'I didn't hate you, I only——'
"'Yes, you did, and you had reason to. I wasn't myself, somehow. Try me again to-day.'
"There was something in his eyes—a troubled, disappointed expression that appealed to me—and so I said:
"'All right, but on one condition: it's my dinner this time.'
"'And my wine,' he answered, and a satisfied look came into his face.
"'Yes, your wine. Come along.'
"The fellow's blunt, jerky way of speaking had somehow made me speak in the same way. Our talk sounded just like two boys who had had a fight and who were forced to shake hands and make up. My own curiosity as to who he might be, what he was doing in Venice, and why he was pursuing me, was now becoming aroused. That he should again throw himself in my way after the stupid dinner of the night before only deepened the mystery.
"When we got inside, just as we were taking our seats at one of the small tables in that side room off the street, a shout of laughter came from the next room—the one we fellows always dined in. I had determined to get inside of the fellow at this sitting, and thought the more retired table better for the purpose. Diffendorfer jumped to his feet on hearing the laughter, peered into the room, and, picking up his wet umbrella, said:
"'Let's go in there—more people.' I followed him, and drew out another chair from a table opposite one at which Roscoff, Woods, and two or three of the boys were dining. They all nudged each other when we came in, and a wink went around, but they didn't speak. They behaved precisely as if I had a girl in tow and wanted to be left alone.
"This dinner was exactly like the first one. Diffendorfer ordered the same wine—Valpocelli, '82, and ate each course that Auguste brought him, with only a word now and then about the weather, the number of people in Venice, and the dishes. The only time when his face lighted up was when a chap named Cruthers, from Munich, who arrived that morning and who hadn't been in Venice for years, came up and slapped me on the back and hollered out as he dragged up a chair and sat down beside me: 'Glad to see you, old man; what are you drinking?'