B936 <=> B938 [BTG XLII Beelzebub in America, p. 937]

“My first supposition concerning the ‘fleas’ no longer held good, because it was impossible to suppose that everybody had a flea on his neck.

“I began speculating what it was all about, but try as I might, I could give myself no explanation whatever.

“Only afterwards, when we had left the house and were in the street, I asked Mr. Bellybutton for an explanation of it all. He immediately burst into unrestrained laughter, and called me ‘simpleton’ and a ‘hick.’ Then, calming down a bit, he said:

“’What a queer guy you are; why, we have just been to a “petting party.”’ And still laughing at my naivete, he explained that the day before we had also been to a party, but to a ‘story party,’ and tomorrow, he continued, ‘I was planning to take you to a “swimming party” where young people bathe together but of course all dressed in special costumes.’

“When he saw that the same look of perplexed astonishment still remained on my face, he asked, ‘But if for some reason you don’t like such “tame affairs,” we can go to others that are not open to everybody. There are lots of such “parties” here and I am a member of several of them.

“’At these parties which are not open to everybody, we can, if you like, have something more “substantial.”’

“But I did not take advantage of this kindness of this obliging and exceedingly ‘amiable’ Mr. Bellybutton, because the next morning I received a telegram which made it necessary for me to return to New York.”

At this point of his tales Beelzebub suddenly became thoughtful and after a rather protracted pause, sighing deeply, he continued to speak thus:

“The next day I did not go by the morning train as I had decided on receiving the telegram, but delayed my departure until the night train.