Of course one can never tell.

The chances are this will all blow over." "Certainly," said Cameron.

"We've heard these rumors for the past year." "Of course," agreed the Inspector cheerfully.
"But if it does not," asked Mandy, suddenly facing the Inspector, "what then ?" "If it does not ?" "If it does not ?" she insisted.
The Inspector appeared to turn the matter over in his mind.
"Well," he said slowly and thoughtfully, "if it does not there will be a deuce of an ugly time." "What do you mean ?" The Inspector shrugged his shoulders.

But Mandy waited, her eyes fixed on his face demanding answer.
"Well, there are some hundreds of settlers and their families scattered over this country, and we can hardly protect them all.

But," he added cheerfully, as if dismissing the subject, "we have a trick of worrying through." Mandy shuddered.