“I know nothing about any other two letters,” he said stupidly.

“You—­know—­nothing.  Of course you know nothing,” said Mr. Alleyne.  “Tell me,” he added, glancing first for approval to the lady beside him, “do you take me for a fool?  Do you think me an utter fool?”

The man glanced from the lady’s face to the little egg-shaped head and back again; and, almost before he was aware of it, his tongue had found a felicitous moment: 

“I don’t think, sir,” he said, “that that’s a fair question to put to me.”

There was a pause in the very breathing of the clerks.  Everyone was astounded (the author of the witticism no less than his neighbours) and Miss Delacour, who was a stout amiable person, began to smile broadly.  Mr. Alleyne flushed to the hue of a wild rose and his mouth twitched with a dwarf s passion.  He shook his fist in the man’s face till it seemed to vibrate like the knob of some electric machine: 

“You impertinent ruffian!  You impertinent ruffian!  I’ll make short work of you!  Wait till you see!  You’ll apologise to me for your impertinence or you’ll quit the office instanter!  You’ll quit this, I’m telling you, or you’ll apologise to me!”

He stood in a doorway opposite the office watching to see if the cashier would come out alone.  All the clerks passed out and finally the cashier came out with the chief clerk.  It was no use trying to say a word to him when he was with the chief clerk.  The man felt that his position was bad enough.  He had been obliged to offer an abject apology to Mr. Alleyne for his impertinence but he knew what a hornet’s nest the office would be for him.  He could remember the way in which Mr. Alleyne had hounded little Peake out of the office in order to make room for his own nephew.  He felt savage and thirsty and revengeful, annoyed with himself and with everyone else.  Mr. Alleyne would never give him an hour’s rest; his life would be a hell to him.  He had made a proper fool of himself this time.  Could he not keep his tongue in his cheek?  But they had never pulled together from the first, he and Mr. Alleyne, ever since the day Mr. Alleyne had overheard him mimicking his North of Ireland accent to amuse Higgins and Miss Parker:  that had been the beginning of it.  He might have tried Higgins for the money, but sure Higgins never had anything for himself.  A man with two establishments to keep up, of course he couldn’t....

He felt his great body again aching for the comfort of the public-house.  The fog had begun to chill him and he wondered could he touch Pat in O’Neill’s.  He could not touch him for more than a bob—­and a bob was no use.  Yet he must get money somewhere or other:  he had spent his last penny for the g.p. and soon it would be too late for getting money anywhere.  Suddenly, as he was fingering his watch-chain, he thought of Terry Kelly’s pawn-office in Fleet Street.  That was the dart!  Why didn’t he think of it sooner?