Chapter 17

“Excuse me!” said a voice suddenly at her elbow. “This is Mrs. Pierpont Pumpelly, is it not?” Hardly looking round to see who it was—since she supposed it must be a reporter—she simpered with importance, “Yes, I’m Mrs. Pumpelly. I’m going over to join Mr. Pumpelly in Rome, you see.” Then she choked—sawdust in the epiglottis or something. She’d seen that young man before somewhere. “Yes, so I read in the paper,” smiled Mr. Bonnie Doon. “But all the same——” For an instant the pier seemed to be rolling in a high sea. …