Florence Craye and Bertie Wooster in “The Delayed Arrival”

This is wonderful! What horrible people! Are all nightclubs like this?

Ah, well, this is about average for the unlicensed places.

Unlicensed?

You said you wanted somewhere low and garish.

Oh no, I'm not complaining. This is just the sort of place I pictured Rollo coming to that night!

Rollo?

The hero of my novel. Rollo Beeminster. He's in a wild mood, reckless, desperate. He's lost the girl he loves, and he comes to this low nightclub trying to forget, but it's useless. He looks around him at the glitter and garishness and feels how hollow it all is.

Yes. [clears throat] I saw Stilton at the Drones tonight.

Oh, yes?

Yes, he was in a wild mood. He looked about him at the Drones' smoking room and I could see he was feeling what a hollow... smoking room it was.