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“Can’t offend that sort of woman, my dear. Besides, I’m out of danger when I’m alone. You don’t want me to fall in love with this blonde siren?”

“She’s too much of a sportswoman to allow you to do that. I’d trust Pat with you anywhere.”

“Is that meant as a compliment to her or to me?”

“To both of you. Jimmy, please be nice to her.”

“I am nice to her.”

“I mean, come and be sociable. She is coming this evening, and I want you to play for her. She sings very well.”

“Don’t you think she despises me enough now? What will she think when she knows that, besides writing love-stories, I tinkle the piano?”

“Do you care?”

“Eh? Not a bit!”

“Then why argue about it? Promise me, Jimmy, you’ll have no urgent work to do this evening?”

“I can’t do that———”

“You can!”

“I can’t.”

“You can!”

Grace had taken advantage of his sitting position to throw her arms tightly about his neck from behind and had fastened her teeth in his right ear.

“Promise?” she had growled ferociously. “Promise?”

He yelled in mock dismay.

“Let go!”

“Promise, you big bully?”

“I promise.”

She had released him then. They had been very happy.

“Next time I’ll take a piece right out of you, young man,” she had threatened laughingly.

“I’ll be good,” he had replied. “But, if I fall in love with this svelte vampire of yours, remember you will have brought it on yourself.”

“I’ll remember to be sorry for you if you do, my dear.”