Luella
Mainprice Jopp, addressing the animal in her arms, "because he was his
muzzer's pet, he was."
I was standing quite near to Vincent Jopp, and at this moment I saw a
bead of perspiration spring out on his forehead, and into his steely
eyes there came a positively hunted look. I could understand and
sympathize. Napoleon himself would have wilted if he had found himself
in the midst of a trio of females, one talking baby-talk, another
fussing about his health, and the third making derogatory observations
on his lower limbs. Vincent Jopp was becoming unstrung.
"May as well be starting, shall we?"
It was Jopp's opponent who spoke. There was a strange, set look on his
face--the look of a man whose back is against the wall. Ten down on the
morning's round, he had drawn on his reserves of courage and was
determined to meet the inevitable bravely.
Vincent Jopp nodded absently, then turned to me.
"Keep those women away from me," he whispered tensely. "They'll put me
off my stroke!"
"Put _you_ off your stroke!" I exclaimed, incredulously.
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