“I’m afraid of you, my boy,” answered the famous little lawyer. “You might put poison in my cup.” “Why?” “Because I lied to you—you see, I’m not waiting to be accused,” the other smiled affably. “I told you I didn’t know where Mary Regan was, and after that you followed me and I led you right to her. She telephoned me about your finding her. You sure caught me dead to rights.” “I’m afraid I can’t do anything with you, Loveman,—though that was the second fib you told me about her.” “Both gentleman’s lies—told for a lady’s sake,” amiably explained Loveman. “She didn’t want her[77] whereabouts known. But now that you’ve found her, what’re you going to do?” [77] “I don’t know that I can do anything.” And then Clifford chanced a shot. “You see, I learned that she is secretly engaged to Jack Morton.” “You don’t say!” exclaimed the little man. “That is astounding! Well, well—I’ll have a look into that and see what’s to be done.” He rubbed his shining crown in bewildered thoughtfulness,—Clifford had to admire his art as an actor,—then again was smiling. “Wish you’d join me after a while at supper, Clifford. Little party I’m giving Nina Cordova—got to cheer her up a bit, you understand. You know ‘Orange Blossoms’ is one God-awful flivver, and Nina, poor orphan-child, don’t know what to do. Gee, but it’s a rotten show, and what it didn’t do to kill itself Nina did for it: she sure is one musical-comedy prima donna that ought to be seen and not heard! And even at that, seen too oft, familiar with her face—oh, go ask the box-office man to finish the quotation. So I’m giving her this little party to boost her spirits—though why shouldn’t somebody be giving me a party to cheer me up for the twenty thousand United States of America dollars that dropped through the bottom of that show?” He gave a moan of mock self-sympathy. “Well, you’ll join us when the crowd blows in?” “Thanks, but I’m waiting for a friend.” “Break away if you can; be glad to have you.” [78]Clifford watched the strange little notable, behind whose light chatter he knew to be the cleverest legal brain of its sort in New York, cross to a small corner table, which was reserved for him every night and was known to the waiters here
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