Selingman and Norgate dined together that evening in a corner of a large, popular grill-room near the Strand.

They were still suffering from the shock of the recent tragedy.

They both rather avoided the topic of Baring's sudden death.

Selingman made but one direct allusion to it.
"Only yesterday," he remarked, "I said to little Bertha--I have known her so long that I call her always Bertha--that this bureau work was bad for Baring.

When I was over last, a few months ago, he was the picture of health.