His spectacled eyes beamed the superiority
which comes of knowing girls by their names. He was seriously
handicapped in the race for sustenance, being two and a half
courses behind, but he drew level with speed and then, having
accomplished this, he sighed, and pointedly engaged Peel-
Swynnerton with his sociable glance.
"Ah!" he breathed out. "Nuisance when you come in late, sir!"
Peel-Swynnerton gave a reluctant affirmative.
"Doesn't only upset you! It upsets the house! Servants don't like
it!"
"No," murmured Peel-Swynnerton, "I suppose not."
"However, it's not often _I_'m late," said the man. "Can't help it
sometimes. Business! Worst of these French business people is that
they've no notion of time. Appointments ...! God bless my soul!"
"Do you come here often?" asked Peel-Swynnerton. He detested the
fellow, quite inexcusably, perhaps because his serviette was
tucked under his chin; but he saw that the fellow was one of your
determined talkers, who always win in the end. Moreover, as being
clearly not an ordinary tourist in Paris, the fellow mildly
excited his curiosity.
"I live here," said the other. "Very convenient for a bachelor,
you know.
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