Part 12 (2/2)

”Just so, sir!”

”I've neither servant nor clothes!” He considered that so far he was doing admirably Indeed, the tale could not have been bettered, he thought His hope was that the felloould not have the idea of consulting the shi+pping intelligence in order to confirm the departure of the _Minnetonka_ from Tilbury that day Possibly the _Minnetonka_ never had sailed and never would sail froo He had selected the first shi+p's name that came into his head What did it matter?

”My man,” he added to clinch--the proper word ”ain under three weeks at the soonest”

The valeta temporary valet, sir, h no fault of his own He's a very good valet, sir, and soon learns a gentleman's ways”

”Yes,” said Edward Henry, judiciously ”But could he come at once?

That's the point” And he looked at his watch, as if to imply that another hour without a valet would be more than human nature could stand

”I could have him round here in less than an hour, sir,” said the hotel-valet, coesture ”He's at Norwich Mews--Berkeley Square way, sir”

Edward Henry hesitated

”Very well, then!” he said coht:

”Dash it! I'm at Wilkins's--I'll be _at_ Wilkins's!”

”Certainly, sir! Thank you verywhen Edward Henry called hi out Help me on with my overcoat, will you?”

The et ested

”And I've a letter for the post”

As he walked down Devonshi+re Square in the dark he hun that he was self-conscious, uneasy, and yet not unhappy

At a sht a shi+rt and a suit of pyjamas, and also permitted himself to be tempted by a special job line of hair-brushes that the hosier had in his fancy depart the powerful word ”Wilkins's,” the hosier prooods should be delivered instantly

Edward Henry cooled his excitement by an extended stroll, and finally re-entered the outer hall of the hotel at half-past seven, and sat down therein to see the world He knew by instinct that the boldest lounge-suit must not at that hour penetrate further into the public roo up to Wilkins's to eat its dinner in the unrivalled restaurant, and often guests staying at the hotel careet invited friends And Edward Henry was so overfaced by visions of woman's brilliance and man's utter correctness that he scarcely knehere to look--so apologetic was he for his grey lounge-suit and the creases in his boots In less than a quarter of an hour he appreciated with painful clearness that his entire conception of existence had been wrong, and that he e at the Majestic would do His socks would not do, nor his shoes, nor the braid on his trousers, nor his cuff-links, nor his ready-made white bow, nor the number of studs in his shi+rt-front, nor the collar of his coat

Nothing! Nothing! To-etically into the lift In his private corridor a young man respectfully waited, hat in hand, the paternal red-and-black waistcoat by his side for purposes of introduction The younga rather shabby blue suit, but a rich and distinguished overcoat that fitted hied a skilled valet, aged twenty-four, name Joseph, with a testimonial of efficiency from Sir Nicholas Winkworth, Bart, at a salary of a pound a week and all found

Joseph seemed to await instructions And Edward Henry was placed in a new quandary He knew not whether the small bedroom in the suite was for a child, or for his wife's ious defiance of precedent to put a valet in the small bedroom Quite probably Wilkins's had a floor for private valets in the roof Again, quite probably, the sht be, after all, specially destined for valets! He could not decide, and thein the universe to him in that crisis was his reputation as ahad to be done

”You'll sleep in this roo the door

”I ht”