That night Hunt met Gardiner at the club by chance, and stayed with him all the evening.
"What are you looking so down about?" asked the newspaper man. "You are drinking too much. Ease up on it."
Indeed, Hunt was drinking too much. He drank enough to loosen his tongue.
"Damn that Gawthrop," he said.
"Ah, I see," cried Gardiner; "is that it?"
And Hunt nodded sulkily. Then he wept.
"If he was only out of the way," he moaned, "I believe I could work the racket with her."
Gardiner shrugged his shoulders.
"Ah, well, buck up. Come on. I'm going to the office."
They walked into Kearney Street and turned east towards the Chronicle offices. As they passed Bush Street a very hard-looking citizen nodded to Gardiner.