He becomes quite genial under your influence." Fisher brightened considerably when he found himself allotted to Molly.
He even conversed a little, and went so far as to seek her out in the drawing-room later.
Charlie, who was making tracks in the same direction, turned sharply away when he saw it, and went off to the billiard-room where several of the rest were collected playing pool.

He was in uproarious spirits, and the whole gathering was speedily infected thereby.
The evening ended in a boisterous abandonment to childish games, and the party broke up at midnight, exhausted but still merry.

Charlie, after an animated sponge-fight with half-a-dozen other sportsmen, finally effaced himself by bolting into Fisher's bedroom and locking himself in.
To Fisher, who was smoking peacefully by the fire, he made hurried apology, to which Fisher gruffly responded by requesting him to get out.
But Charlie, after listening to the babel dying away down the corridor, turned round with a smile and established himself at comfortable length on Fisher's bed.
"I want to talk to you, dear old fellow," he tenderly remarked.

"Can you spare me a few moments of your valuable time ?" "Two minutes," said Fisher with brevity.
"By Jove! What generosity!" ejaculated Charlie, his hands clasped behind his head, his eyes on the ceiling.

"It's rather a delicate matter.
However, here goes! Do you seriously mean business, or don't you?
Are you in sober earnest, or aren't you?
Are you badly smitten, or are you only just beginning to hover round the candle?
Pardon my mixture of similes! The meaning remains intact." Silence followed his somewhat involved speech.