The glorious estate of a bachelor was his once more.
II
The Five Towns Hotel stood theoretically in the borough of Hanbridge,
but in fact it was in neither Hanbridge nor Knype, but "opposite Knype
station," on the quiet side of Knype station, far away from any urban
traffic; the gross roar of the electric trams running between Knype
and Hanbridge could not be heard from the great portico of the hotel.
It is true that the hotel primarily existed on its proximity to the
railway centre of the Five Towns. But it had outgrown its historic
origin, and would have moderately flourished even had the North
Staffordshire railway been annihilated. By its sober grandeur and its
excellent cooking it had taken its place as the first hotel in the
district. It had actually no rival. Heroic, sublime efforts had been
made in the centre of Hanbridge to overthrow the pre-eminence of
the Five Towns Hotel. The forlorn result of one of these efforts--so
immense was it!--had been bought by the municipality and turned into a
Town Hall--supreme instance of the Five Towns' habit of "making things
do!" No effort succeeded. Men would still travel from the ends of the
Five Towns to the bar, the billiard-rooms, the banqueting-halls of the
Five Towns Hotel, where every public or semi-public ceremonial that
included conviviality was obliged to happen if it truly respected
itself.
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