The Girl on the Boat - Penn State University

<strong>The</strong>re was a pause, during which Billie allowed her
gaze to travel casually about the room. Sam occupied
the intermission by staring furtively at her profile. He
was by now in a thoroughly overwrought condition,
and the thumping of his heart sounded to him as if
workmen were mending the street outside. How beautiful
she looked, with that red hair peeping out beneath
her hat and …. However!
“Is there anything I can do for you?” he asked in the
sort of voice Widgery might have used. Sam always
pictured Widgery as a small man with bushy eyebrows,
a thin face, and a voice like a rusty file.
“Well, I really wanted to see Sir Mallaby.”
“My father has been called away on important business
to Walton Heath. Cannot I act as his substitute?”
“Do you know anything about the law?”
“Do I know anything about the law!” echoed Sam,
amazed. “Do I know—! Why, I was reading my Widgery
on Nisi Prius Evidence when you came in.”
“Oh, were you?” said Billie, interested. “Do you always
read on the floor?”
<strong>The</strong> <strong>Girl</strong> on the Boat
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“I told you I dropped my pen,” said Sam coldly.
“And of course you couldn’t read without that! Well,
as a matter of fact, this has nothing to do with Nisi—
what you said.”
“I have not specialised exclusively on Nisi Prius Evidence.
I know the law in all its branches.”
“<strong>The</strong>n what would you do if a man insisted on playing
the orchestrion when you wanted to get to sleep?”
“<strong>The</strong> orchestrion?”
“Yes.”
“<strong>The</strong> orchestrion, eh? Ah! H’m!” said Sam.
“You still haven’t made it quite clear,” said Billie.
“I was thinking.”
“Oh, if you want to think!”
“Tell me the facts,” said Sam.
“Well, Mr. Mortimer and my father have taken a
house together in the country ….”
“I knew that.”
“What a memory you have!” said Billie kindly. “Well, for
some reason or other they have quarrelled, and now Mr.
Mortimer is doing everything he can to make father un-