"Let's go and have dinner together—I know a good French place in Soho."
"Oh, thanks. I shall be awfully pleased."
"Half a crown, table d'hôte. Can you afford?"
"Certainly I can," said Richard, perhaps a little annoyed, until he recollected that Mr. Aked had used exactly the same phrase on a previous occasion.
"I'll pay for the wine."
"Not at all—"
"I'll pay for the wine," Mr. Aked repeated decisively.
"All right. You told me about this Soho place before, if you remember."
"So I did, so I did, so I did."