o endears a celebrity to his public as his little
eccentricities."

"You are quite right," said Miss Bibby, "perfectly right, and indeed you
are very, very good to make them known to me."

"Not at all, not at all," said Hugh graciously. "Anything else? I like
to read myself, in these interviews, what time a writer gets up and goes
to bed."

"Oh yes," said Miss Bibby, "that will be very interesting."

"Well," said Hugh, carefully fitting the finger tips of one hand on to
the tips of the other, "I rise at a quarter to five, winter and summer,
and get a cool two thousand off my chest while yet my fellow men are
buried in slumber. And----"

"Excuse me," said Miss Bibby, "I don't quite follow--two thousand what,
Mr. Kinross?"

"Words, of course," said Hugh.

"B--b--but," hesitated Miss Bibby, "I thought you said two hundred a
day."

Hugh blinked a moment.

"My dear Madam," he said, "you have doubtless heard me called a stylist.
Every one of those two hundred words I erase five to ten times,
polishing, substituting, seeking to express myself better."

Miss Bibby was writing fluently again.

"This," said the author, "occupies me until half-past six, when I take
three baths, one hot, one cold, one--like the church of the
Laodiceans--neither. This stimulates me marvellously."

Scratch, scratch went the fountain-pen.

"After this," said the author, "I walk ten miles along a level road,
and three through a hilly country, during the last mile of the latter
practising the deep-breathing exercises so highly recommended by the
medical faculty."

Scratch, scratch, the pink cheek flag deepening with pleasure.

"On my return I go through a short course of exercises for the muscles,
answer a few letters while I am cooling down, and then breakfast."

"It must be eleven o'clock by then," ventured Miss Bibby.

"Eleven o'clock it is," said Hugh, after a moment's consideration.

"And for breakfast," said Miss Bibby. "Do you--do you eat ordinary
things? It would be so interesting to know."

Hugh was about to instance eggs and bacon in exaggerated quantities,
when he realized that they were much too gross for such a paper. So he
shook his head.

"I attribute my perfect health and clear and active brain solely to the
cautions I observe with my diet," he said slowly. "No meat, no drinking
at meals, no bread, no puddings. There are excellent substitutes," he
picked up negligently from his desk a small packet that had been