Chapter 28

           "Ol-ol—howjerspellit,anyhow?"askedthetartyoungladytowhomArcherhadpushedhiswife’stelegramacrossthebrassledgeoftheWesternUnionoffice."Olenska—O-len-ska,"herepeated,drawingbackthemessageinordertoprintouttheforeignsyllablesaboveMay’sramblingscript."It’sanunlikelynameforaNewYorktelegraphoffice;atleastinthisquarter,"anunexpectedvoiceobserved;andturningaroundArchersawLawrenceLeffertsathiselbow,pullinganimperturbablemoustacheandaffectingnottoglanceatthemessage."Hallo,Newland:thoughtI’dcatchyouhere.I’vejustheardofoldMrs.Mingott’sstroke;andasIwasonmywaytothehouseIsawyouturningdownthisstreetandnippedafteryou.Isupposeyou’vecomefromthere?"Archernodded,andpushedhistelegramunderthelattice."Verybad,eh?"Leffertscontinued."Wiringtothefamily,Isuppose.IgatheritISbad,ifyou’reincludingCountessOlenska."Archer’slipsstiffened;hefeltasavageimpulsetodashhisfistintothelongvainhandsomefaceathisside."Why?"hequestioned.Lefferts,whowasknowntoshrinkfromdiscussion,raisedhiseye-browswithanironicgrimacethatwarnedtheotherofthewatchingdamselbehindthelattice.Nothingcouldbeworse"form"thelookremindedArcher,thananydisplayoftemperinapublicplace.Archerhadneverbeenmoreindifferenttotherequirementsofform;buthisimpulsetodoLawrenceLeffertsaphysicalinjurywasonlymomentary.TheideaofbandyingEllenOlenska’snamewithhimatsuchatime,andonwhatsoeverprovocation,wasunthinkable.