He bowed.
"May I claim your attention for a moment ?" he asked.
Had I been in any other place but the club I should have ignored him.
I possessed the liveliest hatred for the man.
"If you will be brief." "As brief as possible," dropping into the nearest chair.

"It has become necessary to ask you a few questions.

The matter concerns me." "Whatever concerns you is nothing to me," I replied coldly.
He smiled.

"Are you quite sure ?" I had turned the sword on myself, so it seemed.

But I said: "I answered some of your questions once; I believe I was explicit." "As to that I can say you were; startlingly explicit.