Now you juggins, don't you understand ?" "And I'll tell you, Flanders, the second most beautiful thing in the whole of literature," said Cruttendon, bringing his feet down on to the floor, and leaning right across the table, so that his face almost touched Jacob's face.
"'Hey diddle diddle, the cat and the fiddle,'" Mallinson interrupted, strumming his fingers on the table.

"The most ex-qui-sitely beautiful thing in the whole of literature....

Cruttendon is a very good fellow," he remarked confidentially.

"But he's a bit of a fool." And he jerked his head forward.
Well, not a word of this was ever told to Mrs.Flanders; nor what happened when they paid the bill and left the restaurant, and walked along the Boulevard Raspaille.
Then here is another scrap of conversation; the time about eleven in the morning; the scene a studio; and the day Sunday.
"I tell you, Flanders," said Cruttendon, "I'd as soon have one of Mallinson's little pictures as a Chardin.

And when I say that ..." he squeezed the tail of an emaciated tube ...