He had been damned dull, as he always was.
“If she were only sitting there again,” he thought, “I would say everything differently. I would say things that she might remember afterwards. I’m not such a dull fellow as all that.”
Was he not? At least no woman would ever find out that he was not. He thought of his poverty and his book, that, in all probability, he alone believed in. He realized that his head had begun to ache again, and he closed his eyes.
Major Stroud went with Noel and Judy as far as the street door.
“He’ll be all right,” he assured them, indicating Chip upstairs. “Nothing to worry about now. Rest’s doin’ him good. Awfully good of you to come, Miss Pendleton, cheer him up. Terrible fellow for bein’ alone, Chip is. Neglects his friends.”
“Hasn’t he any relations?” Noel asked.
“Orphan … only child, too. He doesn’t see enough people. Not like me; I like to keep goin’ … gaddin’ about.”
Judy was amused at this. Solid, heavy Major Stroud, picturing himself as a sort of social butterfly!
“But you two see a good deal of each other, don’t you?” Judy wanted to feel sure that Chip was not altogether alone.