“Some men have the soul of an omnibus-horse,” she replied.
Cartoner reflected for a moment, looking gravely the while at this girl, who seemed to know so much of life and to have such singularly clear and decisive views upon it.
“What would you have them do beyond going on when required and stopping when expedient—and avoiding collisions?” he inquired.
“I should like them to break the omnibus up occasionally,” she answered, “and take a wrong turning sometimes, just to see if a little happiness lay that way.”
“Yes,” he laughed. “You are a Pole and a Bukaty. I knew it as soon as I saw you.”
“One must do something. We were talking of such things last night, and Monsieur Deulin said that his ideal combination in a man was an infinite patience and a sudden premeditated recklessness.”
“Now you have come down to a mere career again,” said Cartoner.
“Not necessarily.”
The prince came into the room again at this moment.
“What are you people discussing,” he asked, “so gravely?”