Kenny repeated his willingness to lend his wardrobe.

“Of course you would,” said Garry.  “Though it’s hardly the point and difficult to remember when Brian is in a hurry and has to send out a boy to buy him a collar.”

In the matter of money, to take up another point, Kenny felt that his son had a peculiar genius for always having money somewhere.  Brian had of necessity been saved considerable inconvenience by a tendency to economy and resource.  As usual, if anybody suffered it was Kenny.

“For ’tis myself, dear lad,” he finished, “that runs the scale a bit.  Faith, I’m that impecunious at times I’m beside myself with fret and worry.”

Brian steeled himself against the disarming gentleness of the change of mood.  It was inevitably strategic.  Wily and magnetic Kenny always had his way.  It was plain he thought to have it now with every instinct up in arms at the thought of Brian’s going.

“I’ve less genius, less debt and less money,” conceded Brian, “but I’ve a lot more capacity for worry and I’m tired of always being on my guard.  I’m tired of bookkeeping—­”

“Bookkeeping!”

“Bookkeeping lies!” said Brian bluntly.  “I’ve lied myself sometimes, Kenny, to keep from denying a lie of yours.”

The nature of the thrust was unexpected.  Kenny changed color and resented the hyper-critical word.  To his mind it was neither filial nor aesthetic.

“Lies!” he repeated indignantly, regarding his son with a look of paralyzed inquiry.  “Lies!”

“Lies!” insisted Brian.  “You know precisely what I mean.”

“I suppose, Kenny,” said Garry fairly, “that a certain amount of romancing is for you the wine of existence.  Your wit’s insistent and if a thing presents itself, tempting and warmly colored, you can’t refuse it expression simply because it isn’t true.  You must make a good story.  I’ve sometimes thought you’d have a qualm or two of conscience if you didn’t, as if it’s an artistic obligation you’ve ignored—­to delight somebody’s ears, even for a moment.  Perhaps you don’t realize how far afield you travel.  But it’s pretty hard on Brian.”

It was the thing, as Garry knew, that taxed Brian’s patience to the utmost, plunged him into grotesque dilemmas and kept him keyed to an abnormal alertness of memory.  Always his sense of loyalty revolted at the notion of denying any tale that Kenny told.

Now Kenny’s hurt stare left Brian unrepentant.  He lost his temper utterly.  Thereafter he blazed out a hot-headed summary of book-keeping that made his father gasp.

Kenny’s air of conscious rectitude vanished.  In an instant he was defensive and excited, resenting the unexpected need of the one and the distraction of the other.  The sum of his episodic rambling on Brian’s tongue was appalling.  He was willing to concede that his imagination was wayward and romantic.  But why in the name of Heaven must a man—­and an Irishman—­justify the indiscretions of his wit?  Well, the lad had always had an unnatural trend for fact.  Kenny remembered with resentment the Irish fairies that even in his childhood Brian had been unable to accept, excellent fairies with feet so big that in time of storm they stood on their heads and used them for umbrellas!