“The bath is on you, if you like,” he said, “but the dinner’s on me and a show afterwards. I’m at a loose end, old man, and so are you, so we’ll hit up together! We’ll dine in the restaurant here at 7.30, and Julien shall come up to your room so that you can order the dinner. Is it a go?”
“Rather,” laughed Desmond, “I’ll eat your dinner, Maurice, and you shall tell me how you managed to break out of the casualty list into the Nineveh Hotel. But what do all these anxious-looking gentry want?”
The two officers turned to confront a group of four men who were surveying them closely. One of them, a fat, comfortable looking party with grizzled hair, on seeing Desmond, walked up to him.
“Hullo!” said Desmond, “it’s Tommy Spencer! How are you, Spencer? What’s the betting in Fleet Street on the war lasting another five years? Have you come to interview me?”
The tubby little man beamed and shook hands effusively.
“Glad to see you looking so well, Major,” he said, “It’s your friend we want...”
“What? Strangwise? Here, Maurice, come meet my friend Tommy Spencer of the “Daily Record,” whom I haven’t seen since we went on manoeuvres together down at Aldershot! Captain Strangwise, Tommy Spencer! Now, then, fire away; Spencer!”
Strangwise smiled and shook his head.
“I’m very pleased to know your friend, Desmond,” he said, “but, you know, I can’t talk! I had the strictest orders from the War Office... It’s on account of the other fellows, you know...”
Desmond looked blankly at him. Then he—turned to Spencer.