offices of our firm, which I had originally chosen myself, are on
the first floor, close to the Army and Navy Stores. George turned in
at the doorway and went straight up, and for a moment I stood in the
entrance, contemplating the big brass plate with "Lyndon and Marwood"
on it, and wondering what to do next. It seemed odd to think of all
that had happened since I had last climbed those stairs.

Exactly across the road was a restaurant. It was new since my time,
but I could see that there was a table in the window on the first
floor, which must command a fair view of the houses opposite, so I
determined to adopt it as a temporary scouting ground. I walked over
and pushed open the swinging doors. Inside was a sleepy-looking waiter
in his shirt-sleeves engaged in the leisurely pursuit of rolling up
napkins.

"Good-morning," I said; "can I have some coffee and something to eat
upstairs?"

He regarded me for a moment with a rather startled air, and then
pulled himself together.

"Yes, saire. Too early for lunch, saire. 'Am-an'-eggs, saire?"

I nodded. I had had eggs and bacon for breakfast, and on the excellent
principle of not mixing one's drinks, 'am an'-eggs sounded a most
happy suggestion.

"Very well," I said; "and I wonder if you could let me have such a
thing as a sheet of paper, and a pen and ink? I want to write a letter
afterwards."

This, I regret to say, was not strictly true, but it seemed to offer
an ingenious excuse for occupying the table for some time without
arousing too much curiosity.

The waiter expressed himself as being in a position to gratify me, and
leaving him hastily donning his coat I marched up the staircase to the
room above.

When I sat down at the table in the window I found that my
expectations were quite correct. I was looking right across into the
main room of our offices, and I could see a couple of clerks working
away at their desks quite clearly enough to distinguish their faces.
They were both strangers to me, but I was not surprised at this. I
always thought that George had probably sacked most of the old staff,
if they had not given him notice on their own account. Of my cousin
himself I could see nothing. He was doubtless either in his own
sanctum, or in the big inner room where I used to work with Watson, my
assistant.

It was of course impossible to eat much of the generous dish of
'am-an'-eggs which the waiter brought me up, but I dallied over it as
long as possi