"I beg your pardon, Sir——"
"Not at all," I said gruffly.
"But your paper's upside down."
"Yes. I always read papers upside down. I'm ambidextrous."
Ten seconds more silence.
"What do you think of this weather we're having?"
"Nothing," I said curtly. I gave up the paper in despair and looked hard out of the window. I knew the man was staring at me and compassing a new attack.
He leant over at last.
"Now, what are your views on Ulster?"
I couldn't say "Nothing" again; but, even so, I retained some presence of mind.