“To tell
you the
truth,”
said
Mallinson,
“the
fellow’s
cheerfulness
is just
about
getting on
my nerves.
I can
understand
him trying
to keep a
stiff lip,
but that
continual
joking of
his begins
to upset
me. He’ll
be the
life and
soul of
the party
if we
don’t
watch
him.”
Conway too
had once
or twice
wondered
at the
ease with
which the
American
had
managed to
settle
down. He
replied:
“Isn’t it
rather
lucky for
us he does
take
things so
