To save his immortal soul, Jimmy could never
help being hypnotised by Zoie's small feet. He wondered now if
they had been the reason of Alfred's first downfall. He recalled
with a sigh of relief that Aggie's feet were large and
reassuring. He also recalled an appropriate quotation: "The
path of virtue is not for women with small feet," it ran. "Yes,
Aggie's feet are undoubtedly large," he concluded. But all this
was not solving Zoie's immediate problem; and an impatient cough
from her made him realise that something was expected of him.
"Why did you lunch with me," he asked, with a touch of
irritation, "if you thought he wouldn't like it?"
"I was hungry," snapped Zoie.
"Oh," grunted Jimmy, and in spite of his dislike of the small
creature his vanity resented the bald assertion that she had not
lunched with him for his company's sake.
"I wouldn't have made an engagement with you of course," she
continued, with a frankness that vanquished any remaining conceit
that Jimmy might have brought with him. "I explained to you how
it was at the time. It was merely a case of convenience. You
know that."
Jimmy was beginning to see it more and more in the light of an
inconvenience.
"If you hadn't been in front of that horrid old restaurant just
when I was passing," she continued, "all this would never have
happened. But you were there, and you asked me to come in and
have a bite with you; and I did, and there you are.
Pages:
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40