Tales of Terror and Mystery
The New Catacomb
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"What!Youaresofondofadventures!"
"Wherewouldthevarietyoflifebewithoutthem?ItwasforanadventurethatIfirstbegantopaymyattentionstoher.I’vechasedagooddealofgameinmytime,butthere’snochaselikethatofaprettywoman.Therewasthepiquantdifficultyofitalso,for,asshewasthecompanionofLadyEmilyRood,itwasalmostimpossibletoseeheralone.Onthetopofalltheotherobstacleswhichattractedme,Ilearnedfromherownlipsveryearlyintheproceedingsthatshewasengaged."
"MeinGott!Towhom?"
"Shementionednonames."
"Idonotthinkthatanyoneknowsthat.Sothatmadetheadventuremorealluring,didit?"
"Well,itdidcertainlygiveaspicetoit.Don’tyouthinkso?"
"ItellyouthatIamveryignorantaboutthesethings."
"Mydearfellow,youcanrememberthattheappleyoustolefromyourneighbour’streewasalwayssweeterthanthatwhichfellfromyourown.AndthenIfoundthatshecaredforme."
"What—atonce?"
"Oh,no,ittookaboutthreemonthsofsappingandmining.ButatlastIwonherover.Sheunderstoodthatmyjudicialseparationfrommywifemadeitimpossibleformetodotherightthingbyher—butshecameallthesame,andwehadadelightfultime,aslongasitlasted."
"Buthowabouttheotherman?"
Kennedyshruggedhisshoulders.
"Isupposeitisthesurvivalofthefittest,"saidhe."Ifhehadbeenthebettermanshewouldnothavedesertedhim.Let’sdropthesubject,forIhavehadenoughofit!"
"Onlyoneotherthing.Howdidyougetridofherinthreeweeks?"
"Well,wehadbothcooleddownabit,youunderstand.
