The other girl was talking at his elbow, but he made ridiculous and commonplace replies and hardly noticed her.

She broke off at last abruptly, and he roused himself to carry on.

He caught her expression, and somehow or other it landed him deeper in the business.

He made a deliberate move.
"Where are you going after this ?" he asked.
"Down town to do some shopping; then I suppose home, unless a fit seizes Julie and we run a risk once more of being summarily repatriated." He laughed.

"Does that often happen ?" "Quite often.