For five weeks Panoukian had made no appearance in Gray’s Inn. Then one day he came with a fat Newfoundland puppy, a present for Matilda. She was out. Old Mole received him.
“Hullo!”
“How do! sir.”
They stood looking at each other, Old Mole holding the door back, Panoukian hesitating on the threshold with the puppy in his arms.
Old Mole thought:
“I will speak to him. I will tell him what I think of him. I will make him feel what he is.”
He said:
“Come in.”
“Are you alone?” asked Panoukian.