"It's nectar to me to be out again," he said. "Jerusalem!--it was awful in the Courts. Have supper with me."
It was a fine starlight night--the air cool and refreshing, and a wild abandonment seized Lilian Rosenberg. She would have supped with the devil had he asked her.
"I've nothing to lose now," she said to herself. "Nothing! I'll have my fling."
"Where shall we go?" she asked. "It must be somewhere entertaining."
"Why not to my rooms?" he said. "We can talk better there--we shall be all alone!"
She raised no objection, and they were about to step into a taxi, when Hamar and Curtis suddenly put in appearance.
"Matt!" Hamar cried, seizing his elbow. "I want a word with you."
"Not now," Kelson protested, looking hungrily at Lilian.
"Yes, now!" Hamar said. "At once! I shan't keep you more than five minutes"--and he dragged Kelson away with him.
The moment they had gone, Curtis, who was obviously the worse for drink, addressed Lilian.
"Kelson won't come back," he said. "Hamar is mad with him. He says if he ever sees you two together again he'll sack you. Let me take his place!"
A sudden inspiration came to her. There were one or two things she badly wanted to know--and with a bit of coaxing, Curtis, in his present state, might tell her anything. She would try.
They got into the taxi and Curtis, as far as his fuddled senses would allow, made violent love to her.
After supper--they had supper in his rooms--he grew a great deal more amorous. She let him sit close beside her, she let him put his arm round her waist; but before she let him kiss her, she struck her bargain.
"No!" she said, thrusting him away. "Not just yet. That can come later--if you are good. I want you to tell me something first. About this marriage of Mr. Hamar and Miss Martin--is it likely to come off?"
"Ish it likely!" Curtis said with a stupid leer. "Ish it likely! Not much. Leon means nothing! He only wants the fun of being engaged to a pretty girl--like I wantsh fun with you. Nothing more."
"Then he'll throw her over after a while."
"And suppose she prove different to what he expects?"
"After he pashes stage seven--that will be all right!" Curtis said giving her waist an emphatic squeeze. "Everybody will be all right then. You and Matt--for exshample--and I and--and--whishky!"