Wally had been about to butter a piece of toast. The butter, jerked from the knife by the convulsive start which he gave, popped up in a semi-circle and plumped on to the tablecloth. He recovered himself quickly.
"Sorry!" he said. "You mustn't mind that. They want me to be second-string for the "Boosting the Butter" event at the next Olympic Games, and I'm practising all the time.... Underhill was there, eh?"
"Yes."
"You met him?"
"Yes."
Wally fiddled with his knife.
"Did he come over.... I mean ... had he come specially to see you?"
"Yes."
"I see."
There was another pause.