He raised his voice and gave it a more serious tone.

“Tell me, Otter, is Mr. Urquhart what you might call eccentric⁠—queer, in fact?”

Darnley did turn his bearded profile at this. “That depends,” he said, “what you mean by ‘queer.’ I’ve always found him very civil. My brother can’t bear the sight of him.”

Wolf made his favourite grimace again at this.

“I hope your brother will approve of me ,” he said. “I confess I begin to be a bit frightened.”

“Jason is a poet,” remarked Mr. Otter gravely, and his tone had enough of a rebuke in it to rouse a flicker of malice in his companion.