Part 39 (1/2)
”Come on, then, for Heaven's sake!” said Selwyn, laughing; and the two men, arm in arm, began a minute tour of the house.
”Isn't it a corker! Isn't it fine!” repeated Lansing every few minutes.
”I wouldn't exchange it for any mansion on Fifth Avenue!”
”You'd be a fool to,” agreed Selwyn gravely.
”Certainly I would. Anyway, prices are going up like rockets in this section--not that I'd think of selling out at any price--but it's comfortable to know it. Why, a real-estate man told me--h.e.l.lo! What was that? Something fell somewhere!”
”A section of the bath-room ceiling, I think,” said Selwyn; ”we mustn't step too heavily on the floors at first, you know.”
”Oh, I'm going to have the entire thing done over--room by room--when I can afford it. Meanwhile _j'y suis, j'y reste_... . Look there, Phil!
That's to be your room.”
”Thanks, old fellow--not now.”
”Why, yes! I expected you'd have your room here, Phil--”
”It's very good of you, Boots, but I can't do it.”
Lansing faced him: ”_Won't_ you?”
Selwyn, smiling, shook his head; and the other knew it was final.
”Well, the room will be there--furnished the way you and I like it. When you want it, make smoke signals or wig-wag.”
”I will; thank you, Boots.”
Lansing said unaffectedly, ”How soon do you think you can afford a house like this?”
”I don't know; you see, I've only my income now--”
”Plus what you make at the office--”
”I've left Neergard.”
”What!”
”This morning; for good.”
”The deuce!” he murmured, looking at Selwyn; but the latter volunteered no further information, and Lansing, having given him the chance, cheerfully switched to the other track:
”Shall I see whether the Air Line has anything in _your_ line, Phil? No?
Well, what are you going to do?”
”I don't exactly know what I shall do... . If I had capital--enough--I think I'd start in making bulk and dense powders--all sorts; gun-cotton, nitro-powders--”
”You mean you'd like to go on with your own invention--Chaosite?”
”I'd like to keep on experimenting with it if I could afford to. Perhaps I will. But it's not yet a commercial possibility--if it ever is to be.