"Never's a long time."
"And talking about time," remarked Guy, glancing at his watch, "if you two boys have any idea of the theatre to-night you'll have to be off."
"Aren't you coming too?" chorussed Otterburn and his comrade.
"No! I received an important piece of news to-night, about which I wish to speak to my cousin."
"What will Mrs. V. say?" asked Laxton gaily.
"Who can foretell a woman's remarks?" said Eustace quizzically, seeing that Guy was disinclined to speak.
"Depends upon how much you know of the woman," responded Otterburn smartly.
"Woman," retorted the cynic, "is an unknown quantity."
"What about quality?"
"This conversation," said Eustace, looking at his glass of water, "is getting problematic. After dinner is a bad time to solve puzzles, therefore--coffee."