"Why couldn't you have me fetched decently?"
The chorus had vanished; they two were alone, with Charles, abashed.
"Your man wanted to put me out. I'm all in, George, so I just put him out, and rang the bells for you." He sighed wearily, and added: "Anyhow, it worked."
George turned a heavy face on the footman, but Dick spoke first.
"Charles is a damned good servant," he said. "I know what I look like. He was in the right, so I had to evict."
"What's your trouble, Dick?" asked George, speaking, thought the servant, as if this Dick were the first of all Dicks and all men.
"I've got a girl in a cab out there. She's worse beat than I am, George. I want you and Liz to look after her till to-morrow."
Bruffin turned to his servant.
"Lady Elizabeth is in my study," he said. "Ask her to come to me here." Then, to Dick, "Sit down," he went on, and disappeared, to return quickly with a tumbler in his hand.
With half-closed eyes, Dick continued as if the other man had never left him.