smiled
pityingly at Hawkins and then looked condescendingly at Mr. Kemp.

"Wants to see Mr. Holymead, does he?" he said, transferring his glance to
the worried porter. "And didn't you tell him that Mr. Holymead has gone
to the theatre and won't be back for some considerable time?"

"That's a lie!" said Mr. Kemp, who had acquired none of the art of
dealing with his fellow men, and was too uneducated to appreciate art in
any form. "I've been watching over the other side of the street, and I
saw him passing a window not ten minutes ago. I'm going to see him if I
wait here all night. I'll soon make meself comfortable on one of them big
chairs." He pointed to an empty chair beside a man in evening dress, who
was holding a conversation with a haughty looking matron. "You tell Mr.
Holymead Mr. Kemp wants to see him," he said to the manager.

"What name did you say?" asked the manager in a tone which seemed to
express astonishment that the lower orders had names.

"Mr. Kemp. You tell him Mr. Kemp wants to see him on important business."
He walked towards the vacant chair and seated himself on it. He dug his
toes into the velvet pile carpet with the air of a man who was trying to
take anchor. Fortunately the man on the adjoining chair, and the haughty
matron, were so engrossed in their conversation that they did not notice
that the air in their immediate vicinity was being polluted by the
presence of a man in shabby clothes and heavy boots.

The manager despatched the porter in search of Mr. Holymead and then went
in pursuit of Mr. Kemp.

"Will you come this way, if you please, Mr. Kemp?" he said, with a low
bow.

He saw that Mr. Kemp was following him and led the way into an
unfrequented corner of the smoking room, where, with the information
that Mr. Holymead would come to him in a few moments, he asked Mr. Kemp
to be seated.

The manager withdrew a few yards, and then took up a position which
enabled him to guard the hotel guests from having their digestions
interfered with by the contaminating spectacle of a seedy man. To the
manager's great relief, Mr. Holymead appeared, having been informed by
the hall porter that a party who said his name was Kemp had asked to see
him. The manager hurried towards Mr. Holymead and endeavoured to explain
and apologise, but the K.C. assured him that there was nothing to
apologise for. He went over to the corner of the smoking room, where the
visitor who had caused so much perturbati