Wentworth was icy towards this man; but frigidity had no effect whatever on the exuberant spirits of the New York politician. 'Well, old man!' cried Fleming to Wentworth, as he came up to the latter and linked arms affectionately. 'What lovely weather we are having for winter time!' 'It _is_ good,' said Wentworth. 'Good? It's glorious! Who would have thought, when leaving New York in a snowstorm as we did, that we would run right into the heart of spring? I hope you are enjoying your voyage?' 'I am.' 'You ought to. By the way, why are you so awful stand-offish? Is it natural, or merely put on "for this occasion only"?' 'I do not know what you mean by "stand-offish."' 'You know very well what I mean. Why do you pretend to be so stiff and formal with a fellow?' 'I am never stiff and formal with anyone unless I do not desire his acquaintance.' Fleming laughed loudly. 'I suppose that's a personal hint. Well, it seems to me, if this exclusiveness is genuine, that you would be more afraid of newspaper notoriety than of anything else.' 'Why do you say that?' 'Because I can't, for the life of me, see why you spend so much time with Dolly Dimple. I am sure I don't know why she is here; but I do know this: that you will be served up to the extent of two or three columns in the _Sunday Argus_ as sure as you live.' 'I don't understand you.' 'You don't? Why, it's plain enough. You spend all your time with her.' 'I do not even know of whom you are speaking.' 'Oh, come now, that's too rich! Is it possible you don't know that Miss Jennie Brewster is the one who writes those Sunday articles over the signature of "Dolly Dimple"?' A strange fear fell upon Wentworth as his companion mentioned the _Argus_. He remembered it as J.K. Rivers' paper; but when Fleming said Miss Brewster was a correspondent of the _Argus_, he was aghast. 'I--I--I don't think I quite catch your meaning,' he stammered. 'Well, my meaning's easy enough to see. Hasn't she ever told you? Then it shows she wants to do you up on toast. You're not an English politician, are you? You haven't any political secrets that Dolly wants to get at, have you? Why, she is the greatest girl there is in the whole United States for finding out just what a man doesn't want to have known. You know the Secretary of State'--and here Fleming went on to relate a wonderfully brilliant feat of Dolly's; but the person to whom he was talking had neither eyes nor ears. He heard nothing and he saw nothing. 'Dear me!' said Fleming, drawing himself up and slapping the other on the back, 'you look perfectly dumfounded. I suppose I oughtn't to have given Dolly away like this; but she has pretended all along that she didn't know me, and so I've got even with her. You take my advice, and anything you don't want to see in print, don't tell Miss Brewster, that's all. Have a cigar?' 'No, thank you,' replied the other mechanically. 'Better come in and have a drink.' 'No, thank you.'