"Blanche, my
dear, Mr. Corliss--hem--it gives me . . . hem . . . it gives me
pleasure to make you acquainted. Cariboo Blanche, sir. Cariboo
Blanche."
"Pleased to meet you." Cariboo Blanche put out a frank hand and looked
him over keenly. She was a fair-featured, blondish woman, originally
not unpleasing of appearance, but now with lines all deepened and
hardened as on the faces of men who have endured much weather-beat.
Congratulating himself upon his social proficiency, Jake Cornell
cleared his throat and marshalled the second woman to the front. "Mr.
Corliss, the Virgin; I make you both acquainted. Hem!" in response to
the query in Vance's eyes--"Yes, the Virgin. That's all, just the
Virgin."
She smiled and bowed, but did not shake hands. "A toff" was her secret
comment upon the engineer; and from her limited experience she had been
led to understand that it was not good form among "toffs" to shake
hands.
Corliss fumbled his hand, then bowed, and looked at her curiously. She
was a pretty, low-browed creature; darkly pretty, with a well-favored
body, and for all that the type was mean, he could not escape the charm
of her over-brimming vitality. She seemed bursting with it, and every
quick, spontaneous movement appeared to spring from very excess of red
blood and superabundant energy.
"Pretty healthy proposition, ain't she?" Jake Cornell demanded,
following his host's gaze with approval.
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