"If your attitude is correct, yes. But you've got to know the elements of Romance when you see them."
"What are the elements of Romance? What do they resemble?" demanded George Z. Green.
Williams said, in a low, impressive voice:
"Anything that seems to you unusual is very likely to be an element in a possible romance. If[200] you see anything extraordinary during the next ten minutes, follow it up. And ninety-nine chances in a hundred it will lead you into complications. Interfering with other people's business usually does," he added pleasantly.
"But," said Green, "suppose during the next ten minutes, or twenty minutes, or the next twenty-four hours I don't see anything unusual."
"It will be your own fault if you don't. The Unusual is occurring all about us, every second. A trained eye can always see it."
"But suppose the Unusual doesn't occur for the next ten minutes," insisted Green, exasperated. "Suppose the Unusual is taking a vacation? It would be just my luck."
"Then," said Williams, "you will have to imagine that everything you see is unusual. Or else," he added blandly, "you yourself will have to start something. That is where the creative mind comes in. When there's nothing doing it starts something."
"Does it ever get arrested?" inquired Green ironically. "The creative mind! Sure! That's where all this bally romance is!—in the creative mind. I knew it. Good-bye."
They shook hands; Williams went down town.[201]