"Say, who do you suppose she is?
Somebody he met this summer, no doubt.

Would you ever think old Billie would get into that sort of a thing?
Well, I'll be gol-durned!" Ultimately Wrinkles said, "Well, it's his own business." This was spoken in a tone of duty.
"Of course it's his own business," retorted Grief.

"But who would ever think----" Again they grinned.
When Hawker entered the den some minutes later he might have noticed something unusual in the general demeanour.

"Say, Grief, will you loan me your---- What's up ?" he asked.
For answer they grinned at each other, and then grinned at him.
"You look like a lot of Chessy cats," he told them.
They grinned on.
Apparently feeling unable to deal with these phenomena, he went at last to the door.

"Well, this is a fine exhibition," he said, standing with his hand on the knob and regarding them.