Noel Draycott cut him short.
"That's all right, Tickell, you can have all the jaw with me you like a little later on, if you want to talk to me at all after what I am going to say; but in the meanwhile, if you don't mind, I'd rather get off my chest what's on it, in my own way."
Major Reith was standing with his back to the door. In front of him on one side was Anthony Dodwell, on the other Jackie Tickell.
"Hullo!" he suddenly exclaimed, "there's someone outside who wants to come in; who's there?"
The door had been opened by someone without sufficiently far to come into contact with his broad back, which acted as an effectual buffer.
As he moved it was open wide enough to admit one of the orderlies of the evening, Private Henry Barnes.
"Well, Barnes," inquired the major, "what is it you want?"
"If you please, sir--a lady."
Holding the door open at its widest the orderly ushered in--Miss Forster.