‘What? What about Dr Ostwald?’ he said to himself angrily. ‘Yes, yes, precisely Dr Ostwald!’

‘Well, what about him? A decent man, apparently, and nothing more! Thea’s been working for him for the past two years and they’re friends — and that’s all there is to it!’

‘But those acquaintances of hers in the bar’ — Gurdweill interrupted himself — ‘they were insolent scoundrels! Absolute scoundrels! They should have been taught a lesson!’