“You don’t mean—? I have not been negotiating. I simply⸺”
The others once more clamoured, after a moment of astonishment.
“You don’t mean to say, Louis, you’re going⸺?”
“What nonsense, what utter nonsense! What can you be thinking of?”
“If Bitzenko comes in again, pay no attention to him! What possesses you, Louis! Whatever possesses you, Louis!”
Soltyk looked angrily at his friends without replying.
“Staretsky, arrange that, do you mind?” he said when the exclamations stopped. “But for Heaven’s sake get it finished quickly. This is becoming boring.”
Staretsky said, leaning on the back of Soltyk’s chair, with authority:
“Don’t be absurd, Louis: don’t be absurd. You must refuse to listen to him. All that rot about libelling and the ‘beautiful girl’: my God, man, you’re not going to take that seriously?”
“Of course not. But I shall fight the German clown. I want to. This is becoming ridiculous.”