Bobo still hung his head. Jack could not but feel a certain pity for him. After all it was he, Jack, who had got him into this mess. "If you won't tell him I will!" said Miriam. She turned her blazing eyes on Jack. "Go! And the next time wait until you are asked, before you thrust yourself on your betters! You are only an upper servant. You have presumed on his good nature until now you think you are the master. I warn you you'll find a different kind of person in me! I can keep you in your place!" Jack received this with a smile. He was thinking: "You are not Mrs. Norman yet, my lady!" She read the thought as clearly as if it had been spoken. "I'm not afraid of you! You can't stop me in anything I mean to do! I despise you!" "Well, there's virtue in frankness," murmured Jack. "But let's not rattle the family skeleton in public." It was true, people were beginning to look curiously towards their table. "After all, it's a simple matter," Jack went on, "and it's entirely up to Bobo. Bobo, are you coming with me, or are you going to stay here?" "I'll stay," muttered Bobo sullenly. Miriam smiled triumphantly. Jack appeared to give in good-humoredly. "Suits me," he said. They rose from the table. Out in the corridor while Jack and Bobo were obtaining their hats and coats, there was a brief moment during which they were out of hearing of Miriam. "Bobo," said Jack firmly, "if you don't come home with me, I swear I'll tell her the truth and leave you to your fate!" Bobo was like a poor little grain of wheat between two hard mill-stones. He shivered. "How can I get away from her?" he whined. Obviously he was more afraid of Miriam than of Jack. "Leave that to me," said Jack. Miriam was watching them suspiciously. They rejoined her. At the elevator she said offhand to Bobo: "You may come up. I have a sitting-room." Miriam entered the elevator in advance, of course. Jack took a firm grip of Bobo's arm. "Well, good-by," said Jack pleasantly. He squeezed Bobo's arm suggestively. "G-good-by," stammered Bobo. "I have to go with Jack." Whereupon Jack turned him about smartly, and marched him out towards the main entrance. Miriam gasped. She could not very well run after them, and grab Bobo's other arm. Indeed, while she stared speechless, the elevator door was closed, and she was whirled aloft. If looks could kill Jack had fallen dead in his tracks! 26 Jack and Bobo returned to the Madagascar without exchanging a word. When they were alone in their rooms, Jack looked at him and said: "What the deuce am I going to do with you?" "Best to let me alone," said Bobo sullenly. "Didn't I convince you to-day that she was a crook?" "I don't care." "That was a nice little sample of her temper that she gave us at the table. Do you want to let yourself in for a lifetime of that?" "I can't help myself."