“Was that Jim Spender going up to see his barmaid again?” he asked his superior.
The station master yawned drowsily.
“Didn’t notice,” he answered. “What an old woman you’re getting, George! Want to know everybody’s business, don’t you?”
The porter withdrew, a little huffed. When, a few minutes later, the train drew in, he even avoided ostentatiously a journey to the far end of the platform to open the door for the solitary passenger who was standing there. He passed up the train and slammed the door without even glancing in at the window. Then he stood and watched the red lights disappear.
“Was it Jim?” the station master asked him, on their way out.
“Didn’t notice,” his subordinate replied, a little curtly. “Maybe it was and maybe it wasn’t. Good night!”
* * * * *
Philip Romilly sat back in the corner of his empty third-class carriage, peering out of the window, in which he could see only the reflection of the feeble gas-lamp. There was no doubt about it, however—they were moving. The first stage of his journey had commenced. The blessed sense of motion, after so long waiting, at first soothed and then exhilarated him. In a few moments he became restless. He let down the rain-blurred window and leaned out. The cool dampness of the night was immensely refreshing, the rain softened his hot cheeks. He sat there, peering away into the shadows, struggling for the sight of definite objects—a tree, a house, the outline of a field—anything to keep the other thoughts away, the thoughts that came sometimes like the aftermath of a grisly, unrealisable nightmare. Then he felt chilly, drew up the window, thrust his hands into his pockets from which he drew out a handsome cigarette case, struck a match, and smoked with vivid appreciation of the quality of the tobacco, examined the crest on the case as he put it away, and finally patted with surreptitious eagerness the flat morocco letter case in his inside pocket.
At the Junction, he made his way into the refreshment room and ordered a long whisky and soda, which he drank in a couple of gulps. Then he hastened to the booking office and took a first-class ticket to Liverpool, and a few minutes later secured a seat in the long, north-bound express which came gliding up to the side of the platform. He spent some time in the lavatory, washing, arranging his hair, straightening his tie, after which he made his way into the elaborate dining-car and found a comfortable corner seat. The luxury of his surroundings soothed his jagged nerves. The car was comfortably warmed, the electric light upon his table was softly shaded. The steward who waited upon him was swift-footed and obsequious, and seemed entirely oblivious of Philip’s shabby, half-soaked clothes. He ordered champagne a little vaguely, and the wine ran through his veins with a curious potency. He ate and drank now and then mechanically, now and then with the keenest appetite. Afterwards he smoked a cigar, drank coffee, and sipped a liqueur with the appreciation of a connoisseur. A fellow passenger passed him an evening paper, which he glanced through with apparent interest. Before he reached his journey’s end he had ordered and drunk another liqueur. He tipped the steward handsomely. It was the first well-cooked meal which he had eaten for many months.
Arrived at Liverpool, he entered a cab and drove to the Adelphi Hotel. He made his way at once to the office. His clothes were dry now and the rest and warmth had given him more confidence.
“You have a room engaged for me, I think,” he said, “Mr. Douglas Romilly. I sent some luggage on.”
The man merely glanced at him and handed him a ticket.
“Number sixty-seven, sir, on the second floor,” he announced.
A porter conducted him up-stairs into a large, well-furnished bedroom. A fire was blazing in the grate; a dressing-case, a steamer trunk and a hatbox were set out at the foot of the bedstead.
“The heavier luggage, labelled for the hold, sir,” the man told him, “is down-stairs, and will go direct to the steamer to-morrow morning. That was according to your instructions, I believe.”
“Quite right,” Philip assented. “What time does the boat sail?”
“Three o’clock, sir.”
Philip frowned. This was his first disappointment. He had fancied himself on board early in the day. The prospect of a long morning’s inaction seemed already to terrify him.
“Not till the afternoon,” he muttered.
“Matter of tide, sir,” the man explained. “You can go on board any time after eleven o’clock in the morning, though. Very much obliged to you, sir.”
The porter withdrew, entirely satisfied with his tip. Philip Romilly locked the door after him carefully. Then he drew a bunch of keys from his pocket and, after several attempts, opened both the steamer trunk and the dressing-case. He surveyed their carefully packed contents with a certain grim and fantastic amusement, handled the silver brushes, shook out a purple brocaded dressing- gown, laid out a suit of clothes for the morrow, even selected a shirt and put the links in it. Finally he wandered into the adjoining bathroom, took a hot bath, packed away at the bottom of the steamer trunk the clothes which he had been wearing, went to bed—and slept.
CHAPTER III
The sun was shining into his bedroom when Philip Romilly was awakened the next morning by a discreet tapping at the door. He sat up in bed and shouted “Come in.” He had no occasion to hesitate for a moment. He knew perfectly well where he was, he remembered exactly everything that had happened. The knocking at the door was disquieting but he faced it without a tremor. The floor waiter appeared and bowed deferentially.
“There is a gentleman on the telephone wishes to speak to you, sir,” he announced. “I have connected him with the instrument by your side.”
“To speak with me?” Philip repeated. “Are you quite sure?”
“Yes, sir. Mr. Douglas Romilly he asked for. He said that his name was Mr. Gayes, I believe.”
The man left the room and Philip took up the receiver. For a moment he sat and thought. The situation was perplexing, in a sense ominous, yet it had to be faced. He held the instrument to his ear.
“Hullo? Who’s that?” he enquired.
“That Mr. Romilly?” was the reply, in a man’s pleasant voice. “Mr. Douglas Romilly?”
“Yes!”
“Good! I’m Gayes—Mr. Gayes of Gayes Brothers. My people wrote me last night from Leicester that you would be here this morning. You are crossing, aren’t you, on the Elletania?”
Philip remained monosyllabic.
“Yes,” he admitted cautiously.
“Can’t you come round and see us this morning?” Mr. Gayes invited. “And look here, Mr. Romilly, in any case I want you to lunch with me at the club. My car shall come round and fetch you at any time you say.”
“Sorry,” Philip replied. “I am very busy this morning, and I am engaged for lunch.”
“Oh, come, that’s too bad,” the other protested, “I really want to have a chat with you on business matters, Mr. Romilly. Will you spare me half an hour if I come round?”
“Tell me exactly what it is you want?” Philip insisted.
“Oh! just the usual thing,” was the cheerful answer. “We hear you are off to America on a buying tour. Our last advices don’t indicate a very easy market over there. I am not at all sure that we couldn’t do better for you here, and give you better terms.”
Philip began to feel more sure of himself. The situation, after