"Me, I am--what you call--perplex," says the Count, and he sure looked it. "But where the young ladies go, there I will follow. _Hein?_" He shrugs his shoulders again and puts on such a comical face that it's no wonder the girls giggled. And that one act maps out the Count for me. He's just one of them middle aged cut-ups that's amusin' to have around, if the sessions ain't too frequent. Follow the young ladies, would he? Say, there was only three inside seats to my taxi, and I hadn't planned on ridin' with the driver. "Lemme fix that for you, Count," says I. "Hey, Cabby!" and I whistles up a second taxi. "What's the number, ma'am?" I asks of Aunty. "Oh, Perzazzer hotel. Get that, Mr. Shuffer? Here you are, Count, right in here!" "But is it that--er--the young ladies, you see," he protests. "I haf bromise myself the bleasure to----" "Yes, that'll be all right too," says I. "They'll do the followin', though, about a block behind. In you go, now!" and I shoves him alongside of Aunty, shuts the door, and gives the startin' signal. Maybe it was a nervy thing, shuntin' the Count off like that, and Marjorie seems sort of disappointed and dazed to find he ain't comin' with us, but by the twinkle in Miss Vee's eyes I guessed I hadn't overplayed my part. Anyway, we had a nice chatty ride on the way up, with Marjorie doin' most of the chattin'. Looked like that was going to be about as far as I'd figure too, for there wa'n't a chance of my gettin' a word in edgewise; but when we fetched up in front of the Ellins' house Miss Vee breaks in with delay orders. "No, Marjorie," says she; "you first. Run in and see if it's all right; and if there isn't a dinner party on, or a houseful of guests, I'll come. No, I shall wait until you do." Course, she didn't plan it that way; but it gives me about six minutes that was all to the good. "You didn't mind my sidetrackin' the Count, eh?" says I. "It was lovely--and perfectly absurd!" says Vee. "You know he bores Aunty to death, and Aunty bores him. He had planned on meeting Marjorie's mother, too." "Then I mussed things up, didn't I?" says I. "I believe you did it purposely, you wretch!" says she, shakin' a finger at me. "Who wouldn't?" says I. "See what I get by it!" "Silly!" says she. "I've a mind to rumple those red curls." "Go on," says I, takin' my hat off. "They'd wiggle for joy." "Then I'll do nothing of the kind," says she. "You haven't even said you were glad to see me." "I'm keepin' it a dead secret," says I. "What happened to Europe; was it on the fritz?" "Poky," says she. "And they found out I was no musical genius, after all. Aunty's disgusted with me." "She ought to take something for her taste," says I. "Oh!" says she, tiltin' her head on one side. "Then you still approve of me?" "That's the only motto on my wall," says I, "only I put it stronger." "Silly!" says she once more.