ice ing with hideous gentleness from
inside his plague…raddled face； 〃you will meet the manager in due time。 He has；
in fact； decided to make you his agent in this matter。 Now drink your drink。〃
〃Drink your drink；〃 they all echoed。
He picked it up with a badly trembling hand。 It was raw gin。 He looked into
it； and looking was like drowning。
The woman beside him began to sing in a flat； dead voice： 〃Roll 。。。 out。。。
the barrel 。。。 and we'll have。。。 a barrel 。。。 of fun。。。〃
Lloyd picked it up。 Then the man in the blue suit。 The dog…man joined in；
thumping one paw against the table
〃Now's the time to roll the barrel — 〃
Derwent added his voice to the rest。 A cigarette was cocked in one corner of
his mouth at a jaunty angle。 His right arm was around the shoulders of the woman
in the sarong； and his right band was gently and absently stroking her right
breast。 He was looking at the dog…man with amused contempt as he sang。
〃 — because the gang's 。。。 all 。。。 here！〃
Jack brought the drink to his mouth and downed it in three long gulps； the gin
highballing down