roved fully equal to his mission.

"You just step this way, sir," he invited encouragingly. "Those packages
of yours will be all right. You don't need to worry about them."

He led the way down a corridor streaming with human beings, into a lift
from which it appeared to Philip that he was shot on to the ninth floor,
along a thickly-carpeted way into a good-sized and comfortable bedroom,
with bathroom attached.

"Your things will be up directly, sir," the small boy promised, holding
out his hand. "I'll see after them myself."

Philip expressed his gratitude in a satisfactory manner and stood for a
few moments at the window. Although it was practically his first glimpse
of New York, the wonders of the panorama over which he looked failed even
to excite his curiosity. The clanging of the surface cars, the roar and
clatter of the overhead railway, the hooting of streams of automobiles,
all apparently being driven at breakneck speed, alien sounds though they
were, fell upon deaf ears. He could neither listen nor observe. Every
second's delay fretted him. His plans were all made. Everything depended
upon their being carried out now without the slightest hitch. He
walked a dozen times to the door, waiting for his luggage, and when at
last it arrived he was on the point of using the telephone. He feed the
linen-coated porters and dismissed them as rapidly as possible. Then he
ransacked the trunks until he found, amidst a pile of fashionable
clothing, a quiet and inconspicuous suit of dark grey. In the bathroom
he hastily changed his clothes, selected an ordinary Homburg hat, and
filled a small leather case with various papers. He was on the point of
leaving the room when his eyes fell upon the cable. He hesitated for a
moment, gazed at the superscription, shrugged his shoulders, and tore it
open. He moved to the window and read it slowly, word for word:

"Just seen Henshaw. Most disturbing interview. Tells me you have had
notice to reduce overdraft by February 1st. Absolutely declines any
further advances. Payments coming in insufficient meet wages and current
liabilities. No provision for 4th bills, amounting sixteen thousand
pounds. Have wired London for accountant. Await your instructions
urgently. Suggest you cable back the twenty thousand pounds lying our
credit New York. Please reply. Very worried. Potts."

Word by word, Philip read the cable twice over. Then it fluttered from
his fingers on to the table. It told it