Somebody's been talking, of course.

Here! hold on!" as I was walking away: "Don't go.

I want to talk to you." He characteristically did not ask whether or not I wanted to talk to him, but, as I happened to be in no hurry, I stopped and waited for him to continue.

He thrust his hands into his pockets and looked me over, very much as he might have looked over a horse he was thinking of buying.
"Paine," he said, suddenly, "do you want to go to work ?" "Work ?" I repeated.

"I am at work already." "You've got a job, such as it is.