“Just pass me that toast-rack,” I said, and shut him up completely.
“But look here, I say,” began one of the others. “We’re not going to believe that, you know.”
“Ah, well,” said I, and shrugged my shoulders.
-“He doesn’t want to tell us,” said the youngest young man in a stage aside; and then, with an appearance of great sang-froid, “You don’t mind if I take a cigarette?”
+“He doesn’t want to tell us,” said the youngest young man in a stage aside; and then, with an appearance of great sangfroid, “You don’t mind if I take a cigarette?”
I waved him a cordial assent, and proceeded with my breakfast. Two of the others went and looked out of the farther window and talked inaudibly. I was struck by a thought. “The tide,” I said, “is running out?”
There was a pause, a doubt who should answer me. “It’s near the ebb,” said the fat little man.
“Well, anyhow,” I said, “it won’t float far.”