"The Government wanted to shovel money into the working man's pockets, in fact," the General said. "Money for nothing. . . . or votes, I suppose."
"But that isn't the point, sir," Macmaster ventured to say. "All that Chrissie was asked to do was to say what 3 x 3 was."
"Well, he appears to have done it and earned no end of kudos," the General said. "That's all right. We've all, always, believed in Chrissie's ability. But he's a strong-tempered beggar."
"He was extraordinarily rude to Sir Reginald over it," Macmaster went on.
The General said:
"Oh dear! Oh dear!" He shook his head at Tietjens and assumed with care the blank, slightly disappointing air of the regular officer. "I don't like to hear of rudeness to a superior. In any service."
"I don't think," Tietjens said with extreme mildness, "that Macmaster is quite fair to me. Of course he's a right to his opinion as to what the discipline of a service demands. I certainly told Ingleby that I'd rather resign than do that beastly job. . . ."
"You shouldn't have," the General said. "What would become of the services if everyone did as you did?"
Sandbach came back laughing and dropped painfully into his low arm-chair.
"That fellow . . ." he began.