Page:Yellow Claw 1920.djvu/215

 “Excuthe me,” he said, and his propitiatory smile was expansive and dazzling, “excuthe me buttin’ in like thith. It theemth rude, I know—it doth theem rude; but the fact of the matter ith I’m a tailor—thath’s my pithneth, a tailor. When I thay a tailor, I really mean a breecheth-maker—tha’th what I mean, a breecheth-maker. Now thethe timeth ith very hard timeth for breecheth-makerth.”…

Dunbar finished his whisky, and quietly replaced the glass upon the table, looking from Sowerby to Stringer with unmistakable significance. Stringer emptied his glass of rum, and Sowerby disposed of his stout.

“I got thith letter lath night,” continued the breeches-maker, bending forward confidentially over the table. (The document looked at least twelve months old.) “I got thith letter latht night with thethe three fiverth in it; and not havin’ no friendth in London—I’m an American thitithen, by birth,—Levinthky, my name ith—Abraham Levinthky—I’m a Noo Englander. Well, not havin’ no friendth in London, and theein’ you three gentlemen thittin’ here, I took the liberty”…

Dunbar stood up, glared at Levinsky, and stalked out of the billiard-room, followed by his equally indignant satellites. Having gained the outer door:

“Of all the blasted impudence!” he said, turning to Sowerby and Stringer; but there was a glint of merriment in the fierce eyes. “Can you beat that? Did you tumble to his game?”