The voice of one of my countrymen, a noisy pest named Smedburg, was raised in excited accusation.
"When the ship's surgeon first met you," he cried, "you called yourself Lord Ridley." "I'll call myself anything I jolly well like," returned Talbot.

"If I choose to dodge reporters, that's my pidgin.

I don't have to give my name to every meddling busybody that--" "You'll give it to the police, all right," chortled Mr.Smedburg.In the confident, bullying tones of the man who knows the crowd is with him, he shouted: "And in the meantime you'll keep out of this smoking-room!" The chorus of assent was unanimous.

It could not be disregarded.

Talbot rose and with fastidious concern brushed the cigarette ashes from his sleeve.