in without knocking and go straight to the bed. But how many women would resist? I wouldn’t, if I were a woman. If you were her, Talliaferro, would you resist? I’ve found,” he went on, “that boldness gets pretty near anything, in this world, especially women. But it takes a bold man. . . . Say, I bet Major Ayers would do it.”
“Right you are. I’d walk right in, by Jove. . . .I say, I think I shall, anyway. Which one is it? Not the old one?”
“All right. That is, if Talliaferro don’t want to do it. He has first shot, you know: he’s done all the heavy preparatory work. But it takes a bold man.”
“Oh, Talliaferro’s bold as any man,” the Semitic man said.
“But, really,” Mr. Talliaferro repeated, “suppose she isn’t expecting me. Suppose she were to call out— No, no.”
“Yes, Talliaferro ain’t bold enough. We better let Major Ayers go, after all. No necessity for disappointing the girl, at least.”
“Besides,” Mr. Talliaferro added quickly, “she is in a room with some one else.”
“No, she ain’t. She’s in a room to herself, now; that one at the end of the hall.”
“That’s Mrs. Maurier’s room,” Mr. Talliaferro said, staring at him.
“No, no; she changed. That room has a broken screen, so she changed. Julius and I were helping her move this afternoon. Weren’t we, Julius? That’s how I happen to know Jenny’s in there now.”
“But, really—” Mr. Talliaferro swallowed again. “Are you sure that’s her room? This is a serious matter, you know.”
“Have another drink,” Fairchild said.
