"How long are you going to keep this up?"
"To the bitter end!" Cosden declared dramatically. "If music has charms to calm the savage beast now is its chance to demonstrate! That isn't all, but you wouldn't believe any more. As a matter of fact I'm taking in everything which begins with H for fear I may miss some one of those 'humanities'!"
Huntington gazed at him in sheer amazement.
"That's right," Cosden emphasized, only slightly embarrassed by the expression of incredulity on his friend's face. "Instead of being merely a 'sow's ear' I'm going the whole hog, and so far I've managed to pull through without casualties. Now what do you and Edith Stevens think of your handiwork!"
"By Jove, Connie!" Huntington exclaimed feelingly, "it's wonderful, and I congratulate you. I had no idea—"
"Other than that I would remain without those 'finer instincts' all my life," he finished for him. "Well, maybe I will, even at that; but at all events I'm giving the whole thing the once over. If my health and strength hold out perhaps when you and I make another vacation trip together you won't be mortified by your friend as you were last time."
"Nonsense, Connie!" Huntington protested. "We both got out a little beyond our depth down there, and things didn't look quite normal to us."
"Both?" Cosden demanded. "Where do you come in? That was my party, if I remember correctly, and I got all the presents."
Huntington for the moment had been forgetful that he alone knew how much the Bermuda days had disturbed his own equilibrium, and he recognized that he had been almost guilty of betraying himself.
"Well," he said lightly, "I interjected myself into your affairs in a shameless fashion, so whatever blame there is I insist on taking my full share.—What you tell me is simply incredible!"