The Fallacy of Romance

During dinner Milt watched Jeff Saxton's manner and manners. The hot day
had turned into a cold night. Jeff tucked the knitted robe about
Claire's shoulders, when she returned to the fire. He moved quietly and
easily. He kept poking up the fire, smiling at Claire as he did so. He
seemed without difficulty to maintain two conversations: one with Mr.
Boltwood about finances, one with Claire about mysterious persons called
Fannie and Alden and Chub and Bobbie and Dot, the mention of whom made
Milt realize how much a stranger he was. Once, as he passed by Claire,
Jeff said gently, "You are lovely!" Only that, and he did not look at
her. But Milt saw that Claire flushed, and her eyes dimmed.

Pinky was silent till he had eaten about two-thirds of the total amount
of fried eggs, cold lamb and ice-box curios. When Claire came over to
see how they fared, Pinky removed himself, with smirking humility, and
firmly joined himself to Jeff and Mr. Boltwood. He caught the subject of
finance and, while Claire dropped down in the chair by Milt, Pinky was
lecturing the two men from New York: "Ah, finance! Queen of the sociological pantheon! I don't know how come
I am so graced by Fortune as to have encountered in these wilds two
gentlemen so obviously versed in the stratagems of the great golden
game, but I will take the opportunity to give you gentlemen some
statistics about the gold-deposits still existent in the Cascades and
other ranges that may be of benefit and certainly will be a surprise to
you. It happens that I have at the present time a mine----"