There were some nice-looking girls amongst them, and they were laughing and talking excitedly, their eyes flashing merrily as they crowded round the trestles which bore the steaming coffee, the chunks of bread, and the slabs of meat.
With a not-unnatural shyness, Dene stood aside for a moment or two; but feeling that, at any rate, he had earned his supper, he drew near the board.

As he did so, one of the men he had seen in the coffee-house caught sight of him, scanned him curiously, and said:-- "New hand, eh?
What's your line ?" This was a somewhat awkward question, and Dene temporized.
"Well, I don't quite know," he said.

"I've been lending a hand generally." The man looked at him with an increased interest, as if struck by the tone of Dene's voice.
"Oh!" he said, thoughtfully.

"Engaged at the last moment?
Well, you'd better go and see the guv'nor." "Gentleman in the fur coat ?" asked Dene.
"The same," said the man, with a grin.

"You haven't met him yet?
Engaged through an agent, I suppose?
Well, you've got a novel experience awaiting you.