"I will throw up the whole affair."
"No, you must not do that," said Roger, quickly. "I want to see the end of this for my own sake, as you very truly say, so don't leave me in the lurch for the sake of a few hasty words. But you must admit, old fellow, that you spoke rather sharply to Judith."
The philosophic Fanks thereupon recovered his temper and said sententiously:
"Women are the devil."
"Eh, how so?"
"They cause trouble whenever they get mixed up in any affair. This case was difficult yesterday; to-day it is more difficult because feminine influence is now at work."
"With whom?"
"With me, with you, with Judas, with us all. May I say something without being thought rude?"
"If it's about Judith—"
"It is about Judith."