"Well," said Wheaton, with an air of relief, "it's worth something to be alive the morning after."
But they had no sympathy for him.
"Listen to him," said Caldwell derisively, "just as if he didn't wish he could do it all over again to-night."
"Not for a million dollars," declared Wheaton, shaking his head dolefully.
"Yes," said Captain Wheelock, "I suppose that show last night bored you nearly to death."
"I'm always glad to see these fellows sacrifice themselves for the public good," said Brown. "Wheaton's a martyr now, with a nice pink halo."
"Well, it doesn't go here," said the army officer severely. "We've got to take him down a peg if he gets too gay."
"Why, we've already got one sassiety man in the house," said Caldwell, "and that's hard enough to bear." He referred to Raridan, who was breakfasting in his room.
They were addressing one another, rather than Wheaton, whose presence they affected to ignore.
"I suppose there'll be no holding him now," said Caldwell. "It's like the taste for strong drink, this society business. They never get over it. It's ruined Raridan; he'd be a good fellow if it wasn't for that."