"A present?"
"A philopena."
"Seems to me, Jim, you are pushing your fortunes in that quarter?"
"Yes; having a gay time! Adoring at the shrine and all that," said Jim. "The lovely Alice is like one of the Madonna pictures—to be knelt to, sworn to, vowed to—but I can't be the possessor. In the meanwhile, let's have as good a time as possible. We have the very best mutual understanding. I am her sworn knight, and wear her colors—behold!"
And Jim opened his coat, and showed a pretty knot of carnation-colored ribbon.
"But, I thought, Jim, you talked the other night as if you could get any of them you wanted?"
"Who says I couldn't, man? Does not the immortal Shakespeare say, 'She is a woman; therefore to be won'? You don't go to doubting Shakespeare at this time of day, I hope?"
"Well, then—"
"Well, then; you see Hal, we get wiser every day—that is, I do—and it begins to be borne in on my mind that these rich girls won't pay, if you could get them. The game isn't worth the candle."
"But there is real thought and feeling and cultivation among them," said I, taking up the gauntlet with energy.