“You may kiss me!” she exclaimed, joyously.
“I do it for him,” I said.
“Then do it again,” said she.
That's the kind of a girl she was—up and a-coming!—and that's the kind of a man I am—obliging to the point of generosity at the proper moment.
The reputation of the Norrises gave us standing, and we were soon marching in step and sowing our francs in a rattling shower with the great caravan of American blood-hunters.
Norris himself was in better health than I had hoped to find him, and three days later he drove me to Tivoli in his motor-car.
As we were leaving the hotel the porter said to Norris:
“An American gentleman called to see you about an hour ago. He was very urgent, and I told him that I thought you had gone to Tivoli.”
“Not gone, but going,” said Norris. “There's a grain of truth in what you said, but I suppose you meant well.”
He handed the porter a coin and added: