“Location?” said the other; and Rosythe shot an arrow of laughter towards me. Perhaps he knew about the vagaries of my Aunt Caroline; anyhow, he would have a fantastic tale to tell about me, and was going to exploit it to the limit!
I made a pitiful attempt to protect my dignity. “Mr. Carpenter has just arrived,” I began&&
“Just arrived, hey?” said the critic. “Oviparous, viviparous, or oviviparous?” He raised his hand; actually, in the glory of his wit, he was going to clap the stranger on the shoulder!
But his hand stayed in the air. Such a look as came on Carpenter's face! “Hush!” he commanded. “Be silent!” And then: “Any man will join in laughter; but who will join in disease?”
“Hey?” said Rosythe; and it was my turn to grin.
“Mr. Carpenter has just done me a great service,” I explained. “I got badly mauled in the mob—”
“Oh!” cried the other. “At the Excelsior Theatre!” Here was something to talk about, to cover his bewilderment. “So you were in it! I was watching them just now.”
“Are they still at it?”
“Sure thing!”
“A fine set of boobs,” I began—