He coughed trying to bring them back to their senses.
Grundy broke away from the girl. "Thank The Grandfather," Comstock thought, and then bit his lip as he realized that he no longer had the right to call on that name....
The girl said, "But where's Bowdler? Darling, what's happened ... he hasn't been ... he isn't hurt?"
"Worse, dear." And the man touched her hair. The sight made little horripilations go up and down the hair on the back of Comstock's head.
"He's not dead?"
"Yes, my darling, but he died bravely trying to save us."
She bent her head reverently and Comstock was pleased to see that even so brazen a hussy was still not lost to all the common decencies.
Grundy cleared his throat and made an obvious effort to change the subject. He said, "I'm sorry, I've forgotten to have you meet our new friend." Grundy introduced them.
Horror piled on horror. Comstock's face whitened as the young girl walked to him, took his hand, shook it, and then impulsively k....d him on the cheek.
Thank Grandfather she stopped after an interminable moment and turned back to Grundy. She asked, her voice low and shaken, "But dearest, oh my dearest, what are we to do now? Bowdler was so strong, so sure of himself; he knew so much more than we do of what is really happening in this sick world of ours ... what are we to do?"