“It’s a rooming house. The outer door was closed. I waited on the stoop until one of the lodgers came home. Told him I’d lost my key. He let me in. I went up to the girl’s room and went in. . . .” “Good God! what did _she_ say?” demanded Stanny. “Oh, she was surprised,” said Jasper shyly. “But she didn’t make much of a fuss . . . I stayed. . . .” “Suppose she _had_ made a fuss?” “I didn’t think of that.” “You had been drinking!” “No. . . . Something got into me. . . .” Wilfred was astounded and delighted by this anecdote. Such delicious effrontery was almost inconceivable to him. It was _right_, thought Wilfred; that was the gallant way; the mad, imprudent jolly way! Jasper loomed a hero in his eyes. He ventured to steal a look at the pair of them. Stanny was a little scandalized by the story—but only a little. Evidently it was much the sort of thing a friend might expect to hear from Jasper. Then Wilfred looked at Jasper; and at the same moment Jasper happened to raise his shy, wicked eyes to Wilfred’s face. A spark was struck, and suddenly they laughed together. Wilfred blushed scarlet. “I’m sorry,” he stammered. “I couldn’t help hearing. . . .” “Oh, that’s all right,” said Jasper, blushing, too. “You know how it is.” A warm tide of joy coursed through Wilfred. To be hailed by Jasper as a fellow! Stanny now included Wilfred in his remarks. He was annoyed. “A piece of folly, if you ask me,” he said. “God knows what might have happened!” “But it wouldn’t, to him,” said Wilfred. “There wasn’t any room in his mind for it to happen.” Stanny looked at Wilfred dubiously. Wilfred blushed again. What nonsense am I talking? he thought. “He understands,” said Jasper, with a jerk of his head in Wilfred’s direction. “Yes, I understand,” said Wilfred, a little breathlessly. “But I wouldn’t have had the nerve to carry it through, myself. I think it was fine!” “Huh!” said Stanny. “You don’t know this idiot as well as I do. Works himself into a state of stupefaction. Then suddenly blows up, and doesn’t know what he’s doing. I don’t call that rational!” “Oh well, reason isn’t everything!” said Wilfred grinning. “Hear! Hear!” said Jasper. Stanny’s irritation was only on the surface. He grinned back at Wilfred. “You shouldn’t encourage him!” he said with an affectionate glance at Jasper. “The old stove-in-bottom! You wouldn’t think he was capable of it, to look at him, would you?” “I’m not bragging about it,” said Jasper with an aggrieved air. “I only told you how it was. I’m ashamed of myself now, I felt rotten about it all day.” “If it had been me, I wouldn’t be ashamed,” murmured Wilfred. “Anyhow, you’re no Joseph!” said Jasper to Stanny. “How about Myrtle?”