"Is it steps?" said O'Hara, warmly, "and haven't we----"

He stopped.

"Well?"

"Ye know," he said, seriously, "ye mustn't let it go any further. I
shall get sacked if it's found out. An' so will Moriarty, too."

"Why?" asked Trevor, looking up from the tea-pot he was filling, "what
on earth have you been doing?"

"Wouldn't it be rather a cheery idea," suggested Clowes, "if you began
at the beginning."

"Well, ye see," O'Hara began, "it was this way. The first I heard of it
was from Dexter. He was trying to score off me as usual, an' he said,
'Have ye seen the paper this morning, O'Hara?' I said, no, I had not.
Then he said, 'Ah,' he said, 'ye should look at it. There's something
there that ye'll find interesting.' I said, 'Yes, sir?' in me
respectful way. 'Yes,' said he, 'the Irish members have been making
their customary disturbances in the House. Why is it, O'Hara,' he said,
'that Irishmen are always thrusting themselves forward and making
disturbances for purposes of self-advertisement?' 'Why, indeed, sir?'
said I, not knowing what else to say, and after that the conversation
ceased."

"Go on," said Clowes.