"Just a minute till I finish this bag.—What'll Pratt say when he comes back?"
"As I shan't be here to hear him, it's hardly worth while guessing."
"Will Wilkinson take it over?"
"The 'Novum'?... I don't think there'll be any more 'Novum.' I suppose these London Indians will be holding a meeting. I don't like 'em, but let's be fair to them: most of 'em are all right. They've got to dissociate themselves from this Collins business somehow. But I expect some lunatic will go and move an amendment.... Well, it won't matter to us. We shall be well down the Channel by that time."
Then the girl gave a low laugh.—"I do think you might buy me a trousseau, Ned—the way it's turned out——"
The man's voice grunted.
"I thought that would be the next. Give you something and you all want something else immediately.... Can't afford it, my dear. I've only pulled between three and four hundred out of this show, living here, paying myself space-rates and all the lot; and we shall want all that."
Again the low voice—very soft and low.
"But you'll be a little sorry to leave here, won't you—m'mmm?——" (This was the second stroke, by comparison with which the first had been sweet.)
Strong spoke brusquely.—"Look here, old girl—we've heaps of things to do to-night—lots of time before us—don't let's have any nonsense——"