"Well, I like your nerve!"
"Don't—don't start in like that," said Finnegan, rolling up his sleeves over his funny, thin forearms, "cause I shall have to thrash you."
"Well, go on," said Stover suddenly.
"You're not in Coventry—you never have been. You're one of us," said Dennis glibly. "But—I repeat But—you can't be one of us if you don't believe in your own noddle that you are one of us! Get that? That's deep—no charge, always glad to oblige a customer."
"Keep on," said Stover, leaning back.
"With your kind permission, directly. It's all in this—you haven't got the trick."
"The trick?"
"The trick of conversation. That's not just it. The trick of answering back. Aha, that's better! Scratch out first sentiment. Change signals!"
"There's something in that," said Stover, genuinely amazed.
"You blush."