r.
Westgate affirmed. "But let's see--when did you get here?"

"Only yesterday," said Percy Beaumont.

"Ah, yes, by the Russia. Where are you staying?"

"At the Hanover, I think they call it."

"Pretty comfortable?" inquired Mr. Westgate.

"It seems a capital place, but I can't say we like the gnats," said Lord
Lambeth.

Mr. Westgate stared and laughed. "Oh, no, of course you don't like the
gnats. We shall expect you to like a good many things over here, but we
shan't insist upon your liking the gnats; though certainly you'll admit
that, as gnats, they are fine, eh? But you oughtn't to remain in the
city."

"So we think," said Lord Lambeth. "If you would kindly suggest
something--"

"Suggest something, my dear sir?" and Mr. Westgate looked at him,
narrowing his eyelids. "Open your mouth and shut your eyes! Leave it to
me, and I'll put you through. It's a matter of national pride with
me that all Englishmen should have a good time; and as I have had
considerable practice, I have learned to minister to their wants. I
find they generally want the right thing. So just please to consider
yourselves my property; and if anyone should try to appropriate you,
please to say, 'Hands off; too late for the market.' But let's see,"
continued the American, in his slow, humorous voice, with a distinctness
of utterance which appeared to his visitors to be part of a humorous
intention--a strangely leisurely, speculative voice for a man evidently
so busy and, as they felt, so professional--"let's see; are you going to
make something of a stay, Lord Lambeth?"

"Oh, dear, no," said the young Englishman; "my cousin was coming over
on some business, so I just came across, at an hour's notice, for the
lark."

"Is it your first visit to the United States?"

"Oh, dear, yes."

"I was obliged to come on some business," said Percy Beaumont, "and I
brought Lambeth along."

"And YOU have been here before, sir?"

"Never--never."

"I thought, from your referring to business--" said Mr. Westgate.

"Oh, you see I'm by way of being a barrister," Percy Beaumont answered.
"I know some people that think of bringing a suit against one of your
railways, and they asked me to come over and take measures accordingly."

"What's your railroad?" he asked.

"The Tennessee Central."

The American tilted back his chair a little and poised it an instant.
"Well, I'm sorry you want to attack one of our institutions," he said,
smiling. "But I gue