"Penny," said Grief, looking across the table at his friend, "if a man thinks a heap of two violets, how much would he think of a thousand violets?"  
"Two into a thousand goes five hundred times, you fool!" said Pennoyer. "I would answer your question if it were not upon a forbidden subject."
 
In the distance Wrinkles and Florinda were making Welsh rarebits.
 
"Hold your tongues!" said Hawker. "!"
 
"Grief," said Pennoyer, "if a man loves a woman better than the whole universe, how much does he love the whole universe?"
 
"Gawd knows," said Grief . "Although it ill befits me to answer your question."
 
Wrinkles and Florinda came with the Welsh rarebits, very . "There," said Florinda, "soon as these are finished I must go home. It is after eleven o'clock.—Pour the ale, Grief."
 
At a later time, Purple Sanderson entered from the world. He hung up his hat and cast a look of proper financial dissatisfaction at the remnants of the feast. "Who has been——"
 
"Before you breathe, Purple, you graceless scum, let me tell you that we will stand no reference to the two violets here," said Pennoyer.
 
"What the——"
 
"Oh, that's all right, Purple," said Grief, "but you were going to say something about the two violets, right then. Weren't you, now, you old bat?"
 
Sanderson grinned expectantly. "What's the row?" said he.
 
"No row at all," they told him. "Just an agreement to keep you from about the two violets."
 
"What two violets?"
 
"Have a rarebit, Purple," advised Wrinkles, "and never mind those ."
 
"Well, what is this business about two violets?"
 
"Oh, it's just some dream. They gibber at anything."
 
"I think I know," said Florinda, nodding. "It is something that concerns Billie Hawker."
 
Grief and Pennoyer , and Wrinkles said: "You know nothing about it, Splutter. It doesn't concern Billie Hawker at all."
 
"Well, then, what is he looking sideways for?" cried Florinda.
 
Wrinkles reached for his guitar, and played a serenade, "The silver moon is shining——"
 
"Dry up!" said Pennoyer.
 
Then Florinda cried again, "What does he look sideways for?"
 
Pennoyer and Grief at the Hawker, who destroyed rarebit in silence.
 
"It's you, is it, Billie?" said Sanderson. "You are in this two-violet business?"
 
"I don't know what they're talking about," replied Hawker.
 
"Don't you, honestly?" asked Florinda.
 
"Well, only a little."
 
"There!" said Florinda, nodding again. "I knew he was in it."
 
"He isn't in it at all," said Pennoyer and Grief.
 
Later, when the cigarettes had become , Hawker volunteered to go after a further supply, and as he arose, a question seemed to come to the edge of Florinda's lips and pend there. The moment that the door was closed upon him she demanded, "What is that about the two violets?"
 
"Nothing at all," answered Pennoyer, much . He sat back with an air of being a of .
 
"Oh, go on—tell me! Penny, I think you are very mean.—Grief, you tell me!"
 
"The silver moon is shining;
Oh, come, my love, to me!
My heart——"
"Be still, Wrinkles, will you?—What was it, Grief? Oh, go ahead and tell me!"
 
"What do you want to know for?" cried Grief, vastly . "You've got more blamed curiosity—— It isn't anything at all, I keep saying to you."
 
"Well, I know it is," said Florinda , "or you would tell me."
 
When Hawker brought the cigarettes, Florinda smoked one, and then announced, "Well, I must go now."
 
"Who is going to take you home, Splu............