"It's no good that way," said the second officer.

Then Redwood began upon the bell.

The senior officer went up and explained very patiently that it could do no good to ring the bell like that, and if it was rung for nothing now it might have to be disregarded presently when he had need of something.

"Any reasonable attendance, Sir," the officer said.

"But if you ring it just by way of protest we shall be obliged, Sir, to disconnect." The last word the officer heard was Redwood's high-pitched, "But at least you might tell me if my Son--" II.
After that Redwood spent most of his time at the windows.
But the windows offered him little of the march of events outside.