IX + 

At luncheon time next day Adam rang up Nina. + 

тАЬNina, darling, are you awake?тАЭ + 

тАЬWell, I wasnтАЩtтБатАКтБатАжтАЭ + 

тАЬListen, do you really want me to go and see your papa today?тАЭ + 

тАЬDid we say you were going to?тАЭ + 

тАЬYes.тАЭ + 

тАЬWhy?тАЭ + 

тАЬTo say could we be married now I had a job.тАЭ + 

тАЬI rememberтБатАКтБатАж yes, go and see him, darling. It would be nice to be married.тАЭ + 

тАЬBut, listen, what about my page?тАЭ + 

тАЬWhat page, angel?тАЭ + 

тАЬMy page in the ExcessтБатАКтБатАж my job, you know.тАЭ + 

тАЬOhтБатАКтБатАж well, lookтБатАКтБатАж Ginger and I will write that for you.тАЭ + 

тАЬWouldnтАЩt that be a bore?тАЭ + 

тАЬI think it would be divine. I know just the sort of things you say.тБатАКтБатАж I expect Ginger does too by now, the poor angelтБатАКтБатАж how he did enjoy himself last night.тБатАКтБатАж IтАЩm going to sleep nowтБатАКтБатАж such a painтБатАКтБатАж goodbye, my sweet.тАЭ + 

Adam had some luncheon. Agatha Runcible was at the next table with Archie Schwert. She said they were all going to some motor races next day. Would Adam and Nina come, too. Adam said yes. Then he went to Aylesbury. + 

There were two women on the other side of the carriage, and they, too, were talking about the Younger Generation. + 

тАЬтАж┬аand itтАЩs a very good position, too, for a boy of that age, and IтАЩve told him and his father told him. тАШYou ought to think yourself lucky,тАЩ IтАЩve said, тАШto get a good position like that in these days, particularly when itтАЩs so hard to get a position at all of any kind or sort.тАЩ And thereтАЩs Mrs.┬аHemingway with her son next door who left school eighteen months ago, and there he is kicking his heels about the house all day and doing nothing, and taking a correspondence course in civil engineering. тАШItтАЩs a very good position,тАЩ I told him, тАШand, of course, you canтАЩt expect work to be interesting, though no doubt after a time you get used to it just as your fatherтАЩs done, and would probably miss it if you hadnтАЩt it to doтАЩтБатАФyou know how Alfred gets on his holidays, doesnтАЩt know what to do with himself half the time, just looks at the sea and says, тАШWell, this is a change,тАЩ and then starts wondering how things are at the office. Well, I told Bob that, but itтАЩs no good, and all he wants to do is to go into the motor business; well, as I said to him, the motor business is all right for them that have influence, but what could Bob hope to do throwing up a good job, too, and with nothing to fall back on supposing things did go wrong. But, no, Bob is all for motors, and, of course, you know it doesnтАЩt really do having him living at home. He and his father donтАЩt get on. You canтАЩt have two men in a house together and both wanting the bath at the same time, and I suppose itтАЩs only natural that Bob should feel he ought to have his own way a bit more now that heтАЩs earning his own money. But, then, what is he to do? He canтАЩt go and live on his own with his present salary, and I shouldnтАЩt be any too pleased to see him doing it even if he could afford itтБатАФyou know what it is with young people, how easy it is to get into mischief when theyтАЩre left to themselves. And there are a great many of BobтАЩs friends now that I donтАЩt really approve of, not to have in and out of the house, you know the way they do come. He meets them at the hockey club he goes to Saturdays. And theyтАЩre most of them earning more money than he is, or, at any rate, they seem to have more to throw about, and it isnтАЩt good for a boy being about with those that have more money than him. It only makes him discontented. And I did think at one time that perhaps Bob was thinking of Betty Rylands, you know Mrs.┬аRylandsтАЩ girl at the Laurels, such nice people, and they used to play tennis together and people remarked how much they were about, but now he never seems to pay any attention to her, itтАЩs all his hockey friends, and I said one Saturday, тАШWouldnтАЩt you like to ask Betty over to tea?тАЩ and he said, тАШWell, you can if you like,тАЩ and she came looking ever so sweet, and, would you believe it, Bob went out and didnтАЩt come in at all until supper time. Well, you canтАЩt expect any girl to put up with that, and now sheтАЩs practically engaged to that young Anderson boy whoтАЩs in the wireless business.тАЭ + 

тАЬWell, and thereтАЩs our Lily now. You know how she would go in for being a manicurist. Her father didnтАЩt like it, and for a long time he wouldnтАЩt have it at all. He said it was just an excuse for holding hands, but, anyway, I said, тАШIf thatтАЩs what the girl wants to do, and if she can make good money doing it, I think you ought to be able to trust your own daughter better than to stand in her way.тАЩ IтАЩm a modern, you see. тАШWeтАЩre not living in the Victorian Age,тАЩ I told him. Well, sheтАЩs in a very nice job. Bond StreetтБатАФand they treat her very fair, and weтАЩve no complaints on that score, but now thereтАЩs this man sheтАЩs met thereтБатАФheтАЩs old enough to be her fatherтБатАФwell, middle-aged anywayтБатАФbut very smart, you know, neat little grey moustache, absolute gentleman, with a Morris Oxford saloon. And he comes and takes her out for drives Sundays, and sometimes he fetches her after work and takes her to the pictures, and always most polite and well spoken to me and my husband, just as youтАЩd expect, seeing the sort of man he is, and he sent us all tickets for the theatre the other night. Very affable, calls me тАШMa,тАЩ if you pleaseтБатАКтБатАж and, anyway, I hope thereтАЩs no harm in itтБатАКтБатАжтАЭ + 

тАЬNow our BobтБатАКтБатАжтАЭ + 

They got out at Berkhamsted, and a man got in who wore a bright brown suit and spent his time doing sums, which never seemed to come right, in a little notebook with a stylographic pen. тАЬHas he given all to his daughters?тАЭ thought Adam. + 

He drove out to Doubting by a bus which took him as far as the village of petrol pumps. From there he walked down the lane to the park gates. To his surprise these stood open, and as he approached he narrowly missed being run down by a large and ramshackle car which swept in at a high speed; he caught a glimpse of two malignant female eyes which glared contemptuously at him from the small window at the back. Still more surprising was a large notice which hung on the central pier of the gates and said: тАЬNo Admittance Except on Business.тАЭ As Adam walked up the drive two lorries thundered past him. Then a man appeared with a red flag. + 

тАЬHi! You canтАЩt go that way. TheyтАЩre shooting in front. Go round by the stables, whoever you are.тАЭ + 

Wondering vaguely what kind of sport this could be, Adam followed the side path indicated. He listened for sounds of firing, but hearing nothing except distant shouting and what seemed to be a string band, he concluded that the Colonel was having a poor day. It seemed odd, anyway, to go shooting in front of oneтАЩs house with a string band, and automatically Adam began making up a paragraph about it: + 

тАЬColonel Blount, father of the lovely Miss Nina Blount referred to above, rarely comes to London nowadays. He devotes himself instead to shooting on his estate in Buckinghamshire. The coverts, which are among the most richly stocked in the county, lie immediately in front of the house, and many amusing stories are related of visitors who have inadvertently found themselves in the line of fire.тБатАКтБатАж Colonel Blount has the curious eccentricity of being unable to shoot his best except to the accompaniment of violin and cello. (Mr.┬атАШGingerтАЩ Littlejohn has the similar foible that he can only fish to the sound of the flageoletтБатАКтБатАж)тАЭ + 

He had not gone very far in his detour before he was again stopped, this time by a man dressed in a surplice, episcopal lawn sleeves and scarlet hood and gown; he was smoking a cigar. + 

тАЬHere, what in hell do you want?тАЭ said the Bishop. + 

тАЬI came to see Colonel Blount.тАЭ + 

тАЬWell, you canтАЩt, son. TheyтАЩre just shooting him now.тАЭ + 

тАЬGood heavens. What for?тАЭ + 

тАЬOh, nothing important. HeтАЩs just one of the Wesleyans, you knowтБатАФweтАЩre trying to polish off the whole crowd this afternoon while the weatherтАЩs good.тАЭ + 

Adam found himself speechless before this cold-blooded bigotry. + 

тАЬWhat dтАЩyou want to see the old geezer about, anyway?тАЭ + 

тАЬWell, it hardly seems any good now. I came to tell him that IтАЩd got a job on the Excess.тАЭ + 

тАЬThe devil you have. Why didnтАЩt you say so before? Always pleased to see gentlemen of the Press. Have a weed?тАЭ A large cigar-case appeared from the recesses of the episcopal bosom. тАЬIтАЩm Bishop Philpotts, you know,тАЭ he said, slipping a voluminously clothed arm through AdamтАЩs. тАЬI dare say youтАЩd like to come round to the front and see the fun. I should think theyтАЩd be just singing their last hymn now. ItтАЩs been uphill work,тАЭ he confided as they walked round the side of the house, тАЬand thereтАЩs been some damned bad management. Why, yesterday, they kept Miss La Touche waiting the whole afternoon, and then the light was so bad when they did shoot her that they made a complete mess of herтБатАФwe had the machine out and ran over all the bits carefully last night after dinnerтБатАФyou never saw such rotten little scrapsтБатАФquite unrecognizable half of them. We didnтАЩt dare show them to her husbandтБатАФheтАЩd be sick to death about itтБатАФso we just cut out a few shots to keep and threw away the rest. I say, youтАЩre not feeling queer, are you? You look all green suddenly. Find the weed a bit strong?тАЭ + 

тАЬWasтБатАФwas she a Wesleyan too?тАЭ + 

тАЬMy dear boy, sheтАЩs playing leadтБатАКтБатАж sheтАЩs Selina. Countess of Huntingdon.тБатАКтБатАж There, now you can see them at work.тАЭ + 

They had rounded the wing and were now in full view of the front of the house, where all was activity and animation. A dozen or so men and women in eighteenth-century costume were standing in a circle singing strongly, while in their centre stood a small man in a long clerical coat and a full white wig, conducting them. A string band was playing not far off and round the singers clustered numerous men in shirt sleeves bearing megaphones, cinematograph cameras, microphones, sheaves of paper and arc lamps. Not far away, waiting their turn to be useful, stood a coach and four, a detachment of soldiers and some scene shifters with the transept of Exeter Cathedral in sections of canvas and matchboarding. + 

тАЬThe ColonelтАЩs somewhere in that little crowd singing the hymn,тАЭ said the Bishop. тАЬHe was crazy to be allowed to come on as a super, and as heтАЩs letting us the house dirt cheap Isaacs said he might. I donтАЩt believe heтАЩs ever been so happy in his life.тАЭ + 

As they approached the hymn stopped. + 

тАЬAll right,тАЭ said one of the men with megaphones. тАЬYou can beat it. WeтАЩll shoot the duel now. I shall want two supers to carry the body. The rest of you are through for the afternoon.тАЭ + 

A man in a leather apron, worsted stockings and flaxen wig emerged from the retreating worshippers. + 

тАЬOh, please, Mr.┬аIsaacs,тАЭ he said, тАЬplease may I carry the body?тАЭ + 

тАЬAll right, Colonel, if you want to. Run in and tell them in the wardrobe to give you a smock and a pitchfork.тАЭ + 

тАЬThank you so much,тАЭ said Colonel Blount, trotting off towards his house. Then he stopped. тАЬI suppose,тАЭ he said, тАЬI suppose it wouldnтАЩt be better for me to carry a sword?тАЭ + 

тАЬNo, pitchfork, and hurry up about it or I shanтАЩt let you carry the body at all; someone go and find Miss La Touche.тАЭ + 

The young lady whom Adam had seen in the motor car came down the steps of the house in a feathered hat, riding habit and braided cape. She carried a hunting crop in her hand. Her face was painted very yellow. + 

тАЬDo I or do I not have a horse in this scene, Mr.┬аIsaacs? IтАЩve been round to Bertie and he says all the horses are needed for the coach.тАЭ + 

тАЬIтАЩm sorry, Effie, you do not and itтАЩs no good taking on. We only got four horses and you know that, and you saw what it was like when we tried to move the coach with two. So youтАЩve just got to face it. You comes across the fields on foot.тАЭ + 

тАЬDirty Yid,тАЭ said Effie La Touche. + 

тАЬThe trouble about this film,тАЭ said the Bishop, тАЬis that we havenтАЩt enough capital. ItтАЩs heartbreaking. Here we have a first-rate company, first-rate producer, first-rate scene, first-rate story and the whole thing being hung up for want of a few hundred pounds. How can he expect to get the best out of Miss La Touche if they wonтАЩt give her a horse? No girl will stand for that sort of treatment. If I were Isaacs IтАЩd scrap the whole coach sooner. ItтАЩs no sense getting a star and not treating her right. Isaacs is putting everyoneтАЩs back up the way he goes on. Wanted to do the whole of my cathedral scene with twenty-five supers. But youтАЩre here to give us a write up, arenтАЩt you? IтАЩll call Isaacs across and let him give you the dope.тБатАКтБатАж Isaacs!тАЭ + 

тАЬYuh?тАЭ + 

тАЬDaily Excess here.тАЭ + 

тАЬWhere?тАЭ + 

тАЬHere.тАЭ + 

тАЬIтАЩll be right over.тАЭ He put on his coat, buttoned it tightly at the waist and strode across the lawn, extending a hand of welcome. Adam shook it and felt what seemed to be a handful of rings under his fingers. тАЬPleased to meet you, Mister. Now just you ask me anything you want about this film because IтАЩm just here to answer. Have you got my name? Have a card. ThatтАЩs the name of the company in the corner. Not the one thatтАЩs scratched out. The one written above. The Wonderfilm Company of Great Britain. Now this film,тАЭ he said, in what seemed a well-practised little speech, тАЬof which you have just witnessed a mere fragment marks a stepping stone in the development of the British Film Industry. It is the most important All-Talkie super-religious film to be produced solely in this country by British artists and management and by British capital. It has been directed throughout regardless of difficulty and expense, and supervised by a staff of expert historians and theologians. Nothing has been omitted that would contribute to the meticulous accuracy of every detail. The life of that great social and religious reformer John Wesley is for the first time portrayed to a British public in all its humanity and tragedy.тБатАКтБатАж Look here, IтАЩve got all this written out. IтАЩll have them give you a copy before you go. Come and see the duel.тБатАКтБатАж + 

тАЬThatтАЩs Wesley and Whitefield just going to start. Of course, itтАЩs not them really. Two fencing instructors we got over from the gym at Aylesbury. ThatтАЩs what I mean when I say we spare no expense to get the details accurate. Ten bob each weтАЩre paying them for the afternoon.тАЭ + 

тАЬBut did Wesley and Whitefield fight a duel?тАЭ + 

тАЬWell, itтАЩs not actually recorded, but itтАЩs known that they quarrelled and there was only one way of settling quarrels in those days. TheyтАЩre both in love with Selina, Countess of Huntingdon, you see. She comes to stop them, but arrives too late. Whitefield has escaped in the coach and Wesley is lying wounded. ThatтАЩs a scene thatтАЩll go over big. Then she takes him back to her home and nurses him back to health. I tell you, this is going to make film history. DтАЩyou know what the Wesleyan population of the British Isles is? Well nor do I, but IтАЩve been told and youтАЩd be surprised. Well every one of those is going to come and see this film and thereтАЩs going to be discussions about it in all the chapels. WeтАЩre recording extracts from WesleyтАЩs sermons and weтАЩre singing all his own hymns. IтАЩm glad your paperтАЩs interested. You can tell them from me that weтАЩre on a big thing.тБатАКтБатАж ThereтАЩs one thing though,тАЭ said Mr.┬аIsaacs, suddenly becoming confidential, тАЬwhich I shouldnтАЩt tell many people. But I think youтАЩll understand because youтАЩve seen some of our work here and the sort of scale itтАЩs on, and you can imagine that expenses are pretty heavy. Why, IтАЩm paying Miss La Touche alone over ten pounds a week. And the truth isтБатАФI donтАЩt mind telling youтБатАФweтАЩre beginning to feel the wind a bit. ItтАЩs going to be a big success when and if itтАЩs finished. Now, suppose there was someoneтБатАФyourself, for instance, or one of your friendsтБатАФwho had a little bit of loose capital he wanted to investтБатАФa thousand pounds, sayтБатАФwell, I wouldnтАЩt mind selling him a half-share. ItтАЩs not a gamble, mindтБатАФitтАЩs a certain winner. If I cared to go into the open market with it, it would be snapped up before you could say knife. But I donтАЩt want to do that and IтАЩll tell you why. This is a British company and I donтАЩt want to let any of those foreign speculators in on it, and once you let the shares get into the open market you canтАЩt tell whoтАЩs buying them, see. Now why leave money idle bringing in four and a half or five percent when you might be doubling it in six months?тАЭ + 

тАЬIтАЩm afraid itтАЩs no use coming to me for capital,тАЭ said Adam. тАЬDo you think I could possibly see Colonel Blount?тАЭ + 

тАЬOne of the things I hate in life,тАЭ said Mr.┬аIsaacs, тАЬis seeing anyone lose an opportunity. Now listen, IтАЩll make you a fair offer. I can see youтАЩre interested in this film. Now IтАЩll sell you the whole thingтБатАФfilm weтАЩve made up to date, artistsтАЩ contracts, copyright of scenario, everything for five hundred quid. Then all you have to do is to finish it off and your fortuneтАЩs made and I shall be cursing for not having held on longer. How about it?тАЭ + 

тАЬItтАЩs very good of you, but really I donтАЩt think I can afford it at the moment.тАЭ + 

тАЬJust as you like,тАЭ said Mr.┬аIsaacs airily. тАЬThereтАЩs many who can whoтАЩd jump at the offer, only I thought IтАЩd let you in on it first because I could see you were a smart kid.тБатАКтБатАж Tell you what IтАЩll do. IтАЩll let you have it for four hundred. CanтАЩt say fairer than that, can I? And wouldnтАЩt do it for anyone but you.тАЭ + 

тАЬIтАЩm terribly sorry, Mr.┬аIsaacs, but I didnтАЩt come to buy your film. I came to see Colonel Blount.тАЭ + 

тАЬWell, I shouldnтАЩt have thought you were the sort of chap to let an opportunity like that slip through your fingers. Now IтАЩll give you one more chance and after that mind, the offer is closed. IтАЩll sell you it for three-fifty. Take it or leave it. ThatтАЩs my last word. Of course, youтАЩre not in any way obliged to buy,тАЭ said Mr.┬аIsaacs rather haughtily, тАЬbut I assure you that youтАЩll regret it from the bottom of your heart if you donтАЩt.тАЭ + 

тАЬIтАЩm sorry,тАЭ said Adam, тАЬI think itтАЩs a wonderfully generous offer, but the truth is I simply donтАЩt want to buy a film at all.тАЭ + 

тАЬIn that case,тАЭ said Mr.┬аIsaacs, тАЬI shall return to my business.тАЭ + 

Not till sunset did the Wonderfilm Company of Great Britain rest. Adam watched them from the lawn. He saw the two fencing instructors in long black coats and white neck bands lunging and parrying manfully until one of them fell; then the cameras stopped and his place was taken by the leading actor (who had been obliged through the exigencies of the wardrobe to lend his own coat). Whitefield took the place (and the wig) of the victor and fled to the coach. Effie La Touche appeared from the shrubbery still defiantly carrying her hunting crop. Closeups followed of Effie and Wesley and Effie and Wesley together. Then Colonel Blount and another super appeared as yokels and carried the wounded preacher back to the house. All this took a long time as the action was frequently held up by minor mishaps and once when the whole scene had been triumphantly enacted the chief cameraman found that he had forgotten to put in a new roll of film (тАЬCanтАЩt think how I come to make a mistake like that, Mr.┬аIsaacsтАЭ). Finally the horses were taken out of the coach and mounted by grenadiers and a few shots taken of them plunging despairingly up the main drive. + 

тАЬPart of Butcher CumberlandтАЩs army,тАЭ explained Mr.┬аIsaacs. тАЬItтАЩs always good to work in a little atmosphere like that. Gives more educational value. Besides we hire the horses by the day so we might as well get all we can out of them while theyтАЩre here. If we donтАЩt use тАЩem in Wesley we can fit тАЩem in somewhere else. A hundred foot or so of galloping horses is always useful.тАЭ + 

When everything was over Adam managed to see Colonel Blount, but it was not a satisfactory interview. + 

тАЬIтАЩm afraid IтАЩve really got very little time to spare,тАЭ he said. тАЬTo tell you the truth, IтАЩm at work on a scenario of my own. They tell me you come from the Excess and want to write about the film. ItтАЩs a glorious film, isnтАЩt it? Of course, you know, I have very little to do with it really. I have let them the house and have acted one or two small parts in the crowd. I donтАЩt have to pay for them though.тАЭ + 

тАЬNo, I should think not.тАЭ + 

тАЬMy dear boy, all the others have to. I knocked a little off the rent of the house, but I donтАЩt actually pay. In fact, you might almost say I was a professional already. You see, Mr.┬аIsaacs is the principal of the National Academy of Cinematographic Art. HeтАЩs got a little office in Edgware Road, just one room, you know, to interview candidates in. Well, if he thinks that theyтАЩre promising enoughтБатАФhe doesnтАЩt take anyone, mind, only a chosen fewтБатАФhe takes them on as pupils. As Mr.┬аIsaacs says, the best kind of training is practical work, so he produces a film straight away and pays the professionals out of the pupilsтАЩ fees. ItтАЩs really a very simple and sensible plan. All the characters in тАШJohn WesleyтАЩ are pupils, except Wesley himself and Whitefield and the Bishop and, of course, Miss La ToucheтБатАФsheтАЩs the wife of the man who looks after the Edgware Road office when Mr.┬аIsaacs is away. Even the cameramen are only learning. It makes everything so exciting, you know. This is the third film Mr.┬аIsaacs has produced. The first went wrong, through Mr.┬аIsaacs trusting one of the pupils to develop it. Of course, he made him pay damagesтБатАФthatтАЩs in the contract they all have to signтБатАФbut the film was ruined, and Mr.┬аIsaacs said it was dishearteningтБатАФhe nearly gave up the cinema altogether. But then a lot more pupils came along, so they produced another, which was very good indeed. Quite a revolution in Film Art, Mr.┬аIsaacs said, but that was boycotted through professional jealousy. None of the theatres would show it. But thatтАЩs been made all right now. Mr.┬аIsaacs has got in with the ring, he says, and this is going to establish Wonderfilms as the leading company in the country. WhatтАЩs more, heтАЩs offered me a half share in it for five thousand pounds. ItтАЩs wonderfully generous, when he might keep it all to himself, but he says that he must have someone who understands acting from the practical side of the board of directors. Funnily enough, my bank manager is very much against my going in for it. In fact, heтАЩs putting every obstacle in my way.тБатАКтБатАж But I dare say Mr.┬аIsaacs would sooner you didnтАЩt put any of this into your paper.тАЭ + 

тАЬWhat I really came about was your daughter, Nina.тАЭ + 

тАЬOh, sheтАЩs not taking any part in the film at all. To tell you the truth, I very much doubt whether she has any real talent. ItтАЩs funny how these things often skip a generation. My father, now, was a very bad actor indeedтБатАФthough he always used to take a leading part when we had theatricals at Christmas. Upon my soul, he used to make himself look quite ridiculous sometimes. I remember once he did a skit of Henry Irving in The Bells.тБатАКтБатАжтАЭ + 

тАЬIтАЩm afraid youтАЩve forgotten me, sir, but I came here last month to see you about Nina. Well, she wanted me to tell you that IтАЩm Mr.┬аChatterbox now.тБатАКтБатАжтАЭ + 

тАЬChatterboxтБатАКтБатАж no, my boy, IтАЩm afraid I donтАЩt remember you. My memoryтАЩs not what it was.тБатАКтБатАж ThereтАЩs a Canon Chatterbox at Worcester I used to knowтБатАКтБатАж he was up at New College with meтБатАКтБатАж unusual name.тАЭ + 

тАЬMr.┬аChatterbox on the Daily Excess.тАЭ + 

тАЬNo, no, my dear boy, I assure you not. He was ordained just after I went down and was chaplain somewhere abroadтБатАФBermuda, I think. Then he came home and went to Worcester. He was never on the Daily Excess in his life.тАЭ + 

тАЬNo, no, sir, IтАЩm on the Daily Excess.тАЭ + 

тАЬWell, you ought to know your own staff, certainly. He may have left Worcester and taken to journalism. A great many parsons do nowadays. I know. But I must say that heтАЩs the last fellow I should have expected it of. Awful stupid fellow. Besides, he must be at least seventy.тБатАКтБатАж Well, wellтБатАКтБатАж who would have thought it. Goodbye, my boy, IтАЩve enjoyed our talk.тАЭ + 

тАЬOh, sir,тАЭ cried Adam, as Colonel Blount began to walk away. тАЬYou donтАЩt understandтБатАФI want to marry Nina.тАЭ + 

тАЬWell, itтАЩs no good coming here,тАЭ said the Colonel crossly. тАЬI told you, sheтАЩs somewhere in London. SheтАЩs got nothing to do with the film at all. YouтАЩll have to go and ask her about it. Anyway, I happen to know sheтАЩs engaged already. There was a young ass of a chap down here about it the other dayтБатАКтБатАж the Rector said he was off his head. Laughed the whole timeтБатАФbad sign thatтБатАФstill, Nina wants to marry him for some reason. So IтАЩm afraid youтАЩre too late, my boy. IтАЩm sorryтБатАКтБатАж and, anyway, the RectorтАЩs behaved very badly about this film. WouldnтАЩt lend his car. I suppose itтАЩs because of the Wesleyanism. Narrow-minded, that.тБатАКтБатАж Well, goodbye. So nice of you to come. Remember me to Canon Chatterbox. I must look him up next time I come to London and pull his leg about it.тБатАКтБатАж Writing for the papers, indeed, at his age.тАЭ + 

And Colonel Blount retired victorious. + 

Late that evening Adam and Nina sat in the gallery of the Caf├й de la Paix eating oysters. + 

тАЬWell we wonтАЩt bother any more about papa,тАЭ she said. тАЬWeтАЩll just get married at once.тАЭ + 

тАЬWe shall be terribly poor.тАЭ + 

тАЬWell, we shanтАЩt be any poorer than we are now.тБатАКтБатАж I think it will be divine.тБатАКтБатАж Besides, weтАЩll be terribly economical. Miles says heтАЩs discovered a place near Tottenham Court Road where you can get oysters for three and six a dozen.тАЭ + 

тАЬWouldnтАЩt they be rather ill-making?тАЭ + 

тАЬWell, Miles said the only odd thing about them is that they all taste a little different.тБатАКтБатАж I had lunch with Miles today. He rang up to find where you were. He wanted to sell Edward ThrobbingтАЩs engagement to the Excess. But Van offered him five guineas for it, so he gave it to them.тАЭ + 

тАЬIтАЩm sorry we missed that. The editor will be furious. By the way, how did the gossip page go? Did you manage to fill it all right?тАЭ + 

тАЬMy dear, I think I did rather well. You see Van and Miles didnтАЩt know I was in the trade, so they talked about EdwardтАЩs engagement a whole lot, so I went and put it inтБатАКтБатАж was that very caddish?тБатАКтБатАж and I wrote a lot about Edward and the girl heтАЩs to marry. I used to know her when I came out, and that took up half the page. So I just put in a few imaginary ones like you do, so then it was finished.тАЭ + 

тАЬWhat did you say in the imaginary ones?тАЭ + 

тАЬOh, I donтАЩt know. I said I saw Count Cincinnati going into EspinosaтАЩs in a green bowlerтБатАКтБатАж things like that.тАЭ + 

тАЬYou said that?тАЭ + 

тАЬYes, wasnтАЩt it a good thing to say.тБатАКтБатАж Angel, is anything wrong?тАЭ + 

тАЬOh, God.тАЭ + 

Adam dashed to the telephone. + 

тАЬCentral ten thousandтБатАКтБатАж put me through to the night editor.тБатАКтБатАж Look here, IтАЩve got to make a correction in the Chatterbox pageтБатАКтБатАж itтАЩs urgent.тАЭ + 

тАЬSorry, Symes. Last edition went to bed half an hour ago. Got everything made up early tonight.тАЭ + 

So Adam went back to finish his oysters. + 

тАЬBad tabulation there,тАЭ said Lord Monomark next morning, when he saw the paragraph. + 

So Miles Malpractice became Mr.┬аChatterbox. + 

тАЬNow we canтАЩt be married,тАЭ said Nina. + 