he had been brought up had gone to solidify his belief that this was
one of things which didn't happen. Absolutely it wasn't done. During
an earthquake or a shipwreck and possibly on the Day of Judgment,
yes. But only then. At other times, unless they wanted a match or the
time or something, chappies did not speak to fellows to whom they had
not been introduced. He was far too amiable to snub the man, but to
go on with this degrading scene was out of the question. There was
nothing for it but flight.

"Oh, ah, yes," he mumbled. "Well," he added to Jill, "I suppose I may
as well be toddling back. See you later and so forth."

And with a faint 'Good-bye-ee!' Freddie removed himself, thoroughly
unnerved.

Jill looked out of the corner of her eye at Derek. He was still
occupied with the people in front. She turned to the man on her
right. She was not the slave to etiquette that Freddie was. She was
much too interested in life to refrain from speaking to strangers.

"You shocked him!" she said, dimpling.

"Yes. It broke Freddie all up, didn't it!"

It was Jill's turn to be startled. She looked at him in astonishment.

"Freddie?"

"That _was_ Freddie Rooke, wasn't it? Surely I wasn't mistaken?"