The scraping sound which he made thereby grated on Chauvelin's overstrung nerves.

He wanted to be alone, and the sleepy brute's presence here jarred on his own solemn mood.
To his satisfaction, Collot grunted a surly assent.

Very leisurely he rose from his chair, stretched out his loose limbs, shook himself like a shaggy cur, and without uttering another word he gave his colleague a curt nod, and slowly lounged out of the room..