"But this is serious!" he cried. "The Ordinance! The Reform League! The whole city of Chicago! You can't risk these for----"
He stopped. Then:
"Do you realise, you young fool, that if we're caught in this room, it will mean jail for both of us?"
But Merriam in his present mood was incapable of realising anything of the sort. In his mind's eye he saw Mollie June stepping into the elevator and saving in a voice of heavenly sweetness to the happy elevator man, "Three, please!"
An outer crust of his consciousness made pert reply to Rockwell:
"That would be bad for the Reform League, wouldn't it?" and added, "But you're willing to risk it for the Ordinance?"
"Yes, I am," began Rockwell, "but----"
"Would you risk it for Alicia?" Merriam interrupted.
"What has Alicia got to do with it?"
But he understood, and knew that argument was useless, and stared in helpless anger and alarm while the younger man carefully, grandly blew a beautifully perfect smoke ring into the air.