auditors drank from their bottles in silence.

Pok! The cork flew out of Mr Hynes’ bottle, but Mr Hynes remained sitting flushed and bareheaded on the table. He did not seem to have heard the invitation.

“Good man, Joe!” said Mr O’Connor, taking out his cigarette papers and pouch the better to hide his emotion.

“What do you think of that, Crofton?” cried Mr Henchy.

“Isn’t that fine? What?”

Mr Crofton said that it was a very fine piece of writing.