seen every phase of this unprecedented competition, and
his warehouses were stocked. But slowly the forces of his opponents
began to focus themselves.

Then even his own employees suspected the truth. His agents,
solicitors, and salesmen, scattered all over the globe, realized that
one company cannot twist the destiny of mankind. He felt the huge fabric
of his power quiver and creak. The business is now in the hands of the
executors, pending a reorganization.

17 HERIOT ROW

There is a small black notebook into which I look once or twice a year
to refresh my memory of a carnal and spiritual pilgrimage to Edinburgh,
made with Mifflin McGill (upon whose head be peace) in the summer of
1911. It is a testament of light-hearted youth, savoury with the
unindentured joys of twenty-one and the grand literary passion. Would
that one might again steer _Shotover_ (dearest of pushbikes) along the
Banbury Road, and see Mifflin's lean shanks twirl up the dust on the way
to Stratford! Never was more innocent merriment spread upon English
landscape. When I die, bury the black notebook with me.

That notebook is memorable also in a statistical way, and perchance may
serve future historians as a document proving the moderate cost of
wayfaring in those halcyon days. Nothing in Mr. Pepys' diary is more
interesting than his meticulous record of what his amusements cost him.
Mayhap some future economist will pore upon these guileless confessions.
For in the black memorandum book I succeeded, for almost the only time
in my life, in keeping an accurate record of the lapse of coin during
nine whole days. I shall deposit the document with the Congressional
Library in Washington for future annalists; in the meantime I make no
excuse for recounting the items of the first sixty hours. Let no one
take amiss the frequent entries marked "cider." July, 1911, was a hot
month and a dusty, and we were biking fifty miles the day. Please reckon
exchange at two cents per penny.

L | s. | d

July 16 pint cider | | 4
1/2 pint cider | | 11/2
lunch at Banbury | 2 | 2
pint cider at Ettington | | 3
supper at Stratford | 1 | 3
stamp and postcard | | 2