"You won't mind my going out for an hour or so?"
"Going out!" cried O'Hanlon, rousing up. "Where on earth are you going at such an hour, in such a place? Not to that accursed Black Rock?"
"No, no," said O'Brien. "Only I'm quite sure you would never dream of entering such a place, I would ask you to come with me."
"What place?"
"Oh, you're too respectable for it, I assure you."
"Nonsense! I'll go with you."
"I'll lay you a sovereign you don't."
"Done!"
"Done! I'm going to the 'Blue Anchor' to drink a pint of beer and smoke a pipe of tobacco. Hand over the money."
"The 'Blue Anchor'--the Blue 'Anchor!' Are you out of your mind too, or are you joking? Oh, I know! You want to get rid of me for an hour, but don't like to say so."