“Ohh y-yes!” Molly Bashe breathed, “I-I shan’t ever forget that afternoon!”

“Nor I,” I gallantly replied. “But it is time that you go back to your friend before she becomes the least bit suspicious. Mind you, you are to be dealt with first, so prepare yourself. Although I don’t see at the moment how you’re going to talk Miss Denton into surrendering to me, particularly as I have no rancor against her and I am not usually cast in the role of a ravenous rapist. What I did to you and your mother, Miss Molly, was done out of a much-deserved revenge because of her infernal matchmaking.”

“I’m sure that when Julia sees-sees what you’ll-what you’ll do to me, Mr. Jack,” Molly Bashe quavered, “she will get so excited that she won’t think of anything else except what you may do to her, sir.”

My blood was boiling, as you may well suspect! I took her hand and kissed it, as I would that of a great courtesan who had brought off a spectacular coup in the tourney of love, and I let her out. Then lighting a cigar, I made certain that my robe was properly belted and hid the fact that I was in only my undershirt with braces and my trousers, and at last I made my entry back into the salon. Julia Denton glanced up at me, her eyes rather large and insolent as they lingered on me, and I saw that Molly Bashe was beside her and had apparently been talking to her. Seeing me, the delectable brunette raised her voice: “Oh, Julia, we mustn’t leave until you see Mr. Jack’s famous Snuggery. It’s where he takes all his exercise, and it’s a most unusual place.”

You may guess that I had to maintain a great deal of self-control to keep a straight face during this masterpiece of double entendre.I bowed from the waist and replied, “Miss Molly is much too gracious in her estimate of my poor abode, Miss Denton, but it would be my privilege to show you its facilities.”