At one side the curtain had caught against some object, leaving perhaps a quarter of an inch of space through which the light shone.

Aldous brought his eyes on a level with this space.
A half of the room came within his vision.

Directly in front of him, lighted by a curiously shaped iron lamp suspended from the ceiling, was a dull red mahogany desk-table.

At one side of this, partly facing him, was Culver Rann.

Opposite him sat Quade.
Rann was speaking, while Quade, with his bullish shoulders hunched forward and his fleshy red neck, rolling over the collar of his coat, leaned across the table in a tense and listening attitude.