“What about the wife and kiddies? You're a married man, aren't you?”
The sardonic look of the stranger rested on the subaltern.
“Yes,” he said.
“Won't they be expecting you?” said Robert, trying to keep his temper and his tone of authority.
“I expect they will—”
“Then you'd better be getting along, hadn't you?”
The eyes of the intruder rested all the time on the flushed subaltern. The look on Aaron's face became slowly satirical.
“Oh, dry up the army touch,” said Jim contemptuously, to Robert. “We're all civvies here. We're all right, aren't we?” he said loudly, turning to the stranger with a grin that showed his pointed teeth.
Aaron gave a brief laugh of acknowledgement.
“How many children have you?” sang Julia from her distance.