the Kingsway were two of the half-dozen very large
and very mediocre hotels in London which, from causes which nobody,
and especially no American, has ever been able to discover, are
particularly affected by Midland provincials "on the jaunt!" Both had
an immense reputation in the Five Towns.

There was nothing new to say about the Majestic and the Kingsway, and
the talk flagged until Mr. Quorrall mentioned Seven Sachs. The
mighty Seven Sachs, in his world-famous play, "Overheard," had taken
precedence of all other topics in the Five Towns during the previous
week. He had crammed the theatre and half emptied the Empire Music
Hall for six nights; a wonderful feat. Incidentally, his fifteen
hundredth appearance in "Overheard" had taken place in the Five Towns,
and the Five Towns had found in this fact a peculiar satisfaction, as
though some deep merit had thereby been acquired or rewarded. Seven
Sachs's tour was now closed, and on the Sunday he had gone to London,
_en route_ for America.

"I heard _he_ stops at Wilkins's," said Mr. Garvin.

"Wilkins's your grandmother!" Brindley essayed to crush Mr. Garvin.

"I don't say he _does_ stop at Wilkins's," said Mr. Garvin, an
individual not easy to crush; "I only say I heard as he did."

"They wouldn't have him!" Brindley insisted firmly.

Mr. Quorrall at any rate seemed tacitly to agree with Brindley. The
august name of Wilkins's was in its essence so exclusive that vast
numbers of fairly canny provincials had never heard of it. Ask ten
well-informed provincials which is the first hotel in London and
nine of them would certainly reply, the Grand Babylon. Not that even
wealthy provincials from the industrial districts are in the habit of
staying at the Grand Babylon! No! Edward Henry, for example, had
never stayed at the Grand Babylon, no more than he had ever bought a
first-class ticket on a railroad. The idea of doing so had scarcely
occurred to him. There are certain ways of extravagant smartness which
are not considered to be good form among solid wealthy provincials.
Why travel first-class (they argue) when second is just as good and no
one can tell the difference once you get out of the train? Why ape
the tricks of another stratum of society? They like to read about the
dinner-parties and supper-parties at the Grand Babylon; but they are
not emulous and they do not imitate. At their most adventurous they
would lunch or dine in the neutral region of the grill-room at