“Then, you cur, take——”
In another moment he would have struck George full in the face, but the vigilant Vane caught his arm as he raised it.
“You damned fool! Are you drunk?” he hissed into his ear. “Everybody’s looking.”
It was true. Everybody was.
“All the better,” Gerald blurted out. “I’ll thrash him——”
Tommy Myles ranged up and passed his hand through the angry man’s other arm.
“Can’t you go, George?” asked Vane.
“No,” said George, calmly; “not till he’s quiet.”
The hush that had fallen on the room attracted Mrs. Pocklington’s attention. In a moment, as it seemed, though her movements were as a rule slow and stately, she was beside them, just in time to see Gerald make a violent effort to throw off Vane’s detaining hand.