In the midst of the noise Hill, perfectly calm, contemptuously indifferent, touched Warden again upon the shoulder, and spoke to him.
Warden said nothing in reply, but he went to his ball with a hint of savagery, bent, and almost without aiming sent it at terrific speed up the table.

It struck first the red, then the white, pocketed the former, and whizzed therefrom into the opposite pocket.
A yell of delight went up.

It was a brilliant stroke of which any player might have been proud.

But Warden flung down his cue with a gesture of disgust.
"Damnation!" he said, and turned to put on his coat..