He couldn't when the curtain fell have given the slightest account of what had happened.

He had therefore, further, not at that moment acknowledged the amenity added by this acceptance of his awkwardness to Chad's general patience.
Hadn't he none the less known at the very time--known it stupidly and without reaction--that the boy was accepting something?
He was modestly benevolent, the boy--that was at least what he had been capable of the superiority of making out his chance to be; and one had one's self literally not had the gumption to get in ahead of him.

If we should go into all that occupied our friend in the watches of the night we should have to mend our pen; but an instance or two may mark for us the vividness with which he could remember.

He remembered the two absurdities that, if his presence of mind HAD failed, were the things that had had most to do with it.

He had never in his life seen a young man come into a box at ten o'clock at night, and would, if challenged on the question in advance, have scarce been ready to pronounce as to different ways of doing so.