And the other one, he just sits there and stares. Stares like mad."
"Agreed," said I. "On the other hand, without love one is no better than a mere walking corpse."
"Do as I did," replied Rosa, "get yourself a kid.
Then you have something to love and peace of mind as well."
"Not a bad idea," said I. "Hasn't come my way yet."
Rosa wagged her head dreamily.
"All the kicks I've had from my Arthur-—and yet if he walked in here now with his bowler hat on the back of his head—man, it makes me cry just to think of."
"Well, let's drink to Arthur," said I.
Rosa laughed.
"To the son-of-a-bitch, good health!"
We emptied our glasses.
"Au revoir, Rosa.
Good business."
"Au revoir, Bob."
The house door banged.
"Hello," said Patricia Hollmann, "so deep in thought?"
"Not at all.
But how are you?
Are you better again?
What's been wrong?"
"Ach, nothing special.
Cold and a bit of fever."
She certainly did not look sick or worn.
On the contrary her eyes seemed bigger and brighter than I had ever seen them, her face was a bit flushed, and her movements graceful as a young animal's.
"You look wonderful," said I. "Quite fit.
We'll be able to do a heap of things."
"That would be fine," she replied. "But it can't be done to-day.
I can't to-day."
I stared at her, uncomprehendingly.
"You can't?"
She shook her head.
"No, unfortunately."
I still did not understand.
I supposed she had reconsidered coming to my place and merely did not wish to have supper there.
"I rang up a few minutes ago, so that you shouldn't come in vain.
But you'd gone out already."
Now I realised at last.
"You mean you can't really?
Not the whole evening?" I asked.
"Not this time.
I've a most important interview.
Unfortunately I only learned of it half an hour ago."
"Can't you postpone it? till to-morrow? We agreed on to-day!"
"Can't be done." She smiled. "It's a sort of business affair."
I was quite bowled over.
I had reckoned on everything but that.
I didn't believe a word she said.
Business—she did not look like business.
It was only an excuse, probably.
Certainly, even.