Janet rose from her seat on the floor by Bertram’s side and held her hand out to Christy like a Princess. He kissed it with warmth, and said, “The Ugly Beast pays homage to Divine Beauty.”
“The handsome Megatherium to the beautiful Pterodactyl!” said Janet.
They were acting in the usual way, but Bertram was aware of some state of tension in the room. Christy was not quite at his ease, nor Janet quite natural.
“Going so soon?” asked Christy, as Bertram went towards the door.
“I’ve been trying to go for half an hour.”
“Then stay not on the order of your going, but go!”
Christy laughed at the old quotation spoken by Janet, but Bertram saw a queer look in his eyes, of shyness or distress. Was old Christy jealous of him, because of his comradeship with Janet?
Ridiculous!
XXII
Christy’s criticism of Bertram’s book was not devastating. He suggested merely the elimination of certain passages which seemed to him libellous against a certain General, and said simply, “You can’t afford a law suit,” when Bertram protested violently that he intended to libel the old scoundrel, but hadn’t been half strong enough in his character study of a blood-thirsty Junker, ruthless of men’s lives. His praise was limited to a few words, but magnificent to a man who knew him as Bertram did.