"I have always noticed that you are at your best extempore." In the end he did prepare breakfast though in a distrait fashion; indeed I found him beginning to make tea in the frying-pan.

Bastin felt that his opportunity had arrived, and was making ready to rise to the occasion.
Also we felt, all three of us, that we were extremely shabby-looking objects, and though none of us said so, each did his best to improve his personal appearance.

First of all Bickley cut Bastin's and my hair, after which I did him the same service.

Then Bickley who was normally clean shaven, set to work to remove a beard of about a week's growth, and I who wore one of the pointed variety, trimmed up mine as best I could with the help of a hand-glass.

Bastin, too, performed on his which was of the square and rather ragged type, wisely rejecting Bickley's advice to shave it off altogether, offered, I felt convinced, because he felt that the result on Bastin would be too hideous for words.