"I've just balanced my books and—I've just heard from Alice."
"Do the books balance?"
"Oh, perfectly—nothing equals nothing—it's a perfect equilibrium. Alice wants me to come home and start all over, and I'm tempted to do so."
"Ain't going to throw up your tail, are you?"
"I can't get along without her." Thomas was plainly in the depths; he turned away and stared moodily out into the dim-lit street. It was midnight, but already the days were shortening, already there was an hour or two of dusk between the evening and the morning light.
"Of course you can't get along without her," the ex-bandit agreed. "I seen that when I looked at her picture. Why don't you bring her in?"
"Bring her in—here?" Thomas faced about quickly. "Humph! Not much."
"Well, this ain't no doll's village, that's a fact. It's full of wicked men, and the women ain't wuth braggin' over. S'pose we go out and marry her?"
"We?" Thomas smiled for the first time.
"Sure. I'll stick to the bitter finish."