Piccadilly Jim

to see Lord Percy Whipple, the butler had replied that Lord Percy was confined to his bed and was seeing nobody. He eyed Jimmy, on receiving his name, with an interest which

out and had been engaged in pastin

. He ebbed away from the Duke's front door like an army that has made an unsuccessful frontal

Mall, deep in thoug

had fallen in the ni

essity of watching c

don

e his way into Piccadilly, and found that thoroughfare a-roar with happy automobilists and c

ties. He had lived each day as it came in the spirit of the Monks of Thelema. But his father's reception of the news of last night's escapade and the few words he had said had given him pause. Life had taken on of a sudden a less simple aspect. Dimly, for he was not accustomed to thinking along these lines, he perc

which it is possible that his headache contributed he put the matter squarely to himself. His father was longing to return to America-he, Jimmy, by his idiotic behaviour was putting obstacles in the way of that return-what was the

anies have their offices, and so it came about that Jimmy, chancing to look up as he walked, perceived before him, riding gallantly on a cardboard ocean behind a plate-glass window, the model of a noble vessel. He stopped, conscious of a curious thrill. There is a superstition in all of us. When an accidental happening chances

be a simpler solution

hip's interior organs, and hand over your money. A child could do it, if in funds. At this thought his hand strayed to his trouser-pocket. A musical crackling of bank-notes proceeded from the depths. His quarterly allowance had been paid to him only a short while be

remaining in London he was injuring everybody, himself included. . . . Well, there was no ha

g left on the Atl

grave, sensible man who would have laid a hand on his shoulder and said "Do nothing rash, my boy!" The clerk fell short of this ideal in practica

ery few people crossing. Give

es the b

rning from Liverpoo

on six t

ore lunch. An empty stomach breeds imagination. He had ascertained that he could sail on the Atlantic if he wished to. The sensible thing to do now was to go and lunch and see how he felt about i

t that he first became consciou

in front of him most of the way. She had come out of Panton Street, walking briskly, as on

excellently fitting suit of tailor-made grey. He admired her back, and wondered whether her face, if seen, would prove a disappointment. Thus musing, he drew near to the top of the Haymarket, where it ceases to be a street

s keyed up for the exhibition of swift presence-of-mind. He jumped forward and caught her arm, and swung her to one s

u," said

th rather a rueful expression. She was a

n't hurt you,

. But the taxi woul

old hair seemed curiously familiar. Somewhere in the hinterland of his mind there lurked a memory, but he could not bring it into the open. As for the girl, if she had ever met him before, she showed no signs of recollecting

approvingly. "Always l

don't suppose I shall ever get back to New York alive. Perhaps, as you have saved my life, you wouldn't mind doing

y, if I were you I should cross over at the top of the street there and th

rcus. Thank you very much. I will follow your advice. I

so many Londoners have found healing and comfort on the morning after, and bought the pink drink for which his sys

s in quest of lunch. He had intended to seek out some quiet, restful nook where he could be alone with his thoughts. If anybody had told him then that five minutes later he would be placing hi

ay to whatever strange gods they worship. The more prosperous section of London's Bohemia flocked to it daily. When Jimmy had deposited his hat with the robber-b

ainst one of the pillars with a little man with eye-glasses, a handsome woman in the forties, and a small stout boy who was

d began to scatter commands among the underlin

pillar, please

little man seemed depressed at the discovery that corn on the cob and soft-shelled crabs were not to be obtained, and his wife's reception of the news that clams were not included in the Re

with it. When the last lingering strains had died away and the violinist-leader, having straightened out the kinks in his person which the

rocker i

ocktail. It might h

sci

y one on earth. I hate to t

had not known him when they met on the street a few moments before. How then was she able to display such intimate acquaintance with his character now as to describe him-justly enough-as a worm? Mingled with the mystery of the thing was its pathos. The thought

. Jimmy thanked him with his eyes. H

lways d

t down h

ibition of himself in public!

Surely a boy of that age, newly arrived in London, must have all sorts of things to prattle about? But the little man was dealing strenuously with a breaded cutlet, while the stou

hman. Most of them are the sort any country would be glad to get rid of, but he used to work once, so you can't excuse him on the ground that he hasn't the sense to kno

mastication; but he was profoundly grateful to it now for bursting suddenly into La Boheme, the loudest item in its repertory. Under cover of that protective din

d in comparative silence; then the girl's voice spoke agai

nt to of England,"

the Houses of Parlia

and the Cheshire Che

ness. Why shouldn't w

ain. The little man, who had apparently been waiting for her vote before giving his own, said that the sooner he was on board a New York-bound boat th

nd-it's an easy place to get back to America from." She paused. "What I can't understand is how,

uths about himself was exhausted. He placed a noiseless sovereign on the table, caught the waiter's eye, registered renunciation, and departed soft-footed down the aisle. The waiter, a man who had never

s predatory career, was staring at Jimmy with equal intensity, but with

t touched his hat ingratiatingly, with the smug confidence of

Mr. C

," said

ardon,

lained Jimmy, "and mak

he waiter and the hat-check boy. He had sometimes known Mr. Crocke

t in a condition of coma in the smoking-room; then, his mind made up, he went to one of

e wrote was

r D

a brief space. If I stay on in London, I am likely at any moment to pull some boner like last night's which will spill the beans for

ave to do is to come back at them with "I know my son slugged Percy, and believe me I didn't do a thing to him! I packed him off to America within twenty-four hours. Get me right, boys! I'm anti-Jimmy and pro-Percy." To which their reply will be "Oh, well, in that case arise, Lord Crocker!" or whatever they say when slipping a title to a deserving guy. So you will see that by making this getaway I am doing

bout me. I shall be all right. I'll get back my old job and be a terrific success all round. You go a

I'm a

see Jimmy once more. With a sunny smile he snatched a pencil

E. a hundre

its

go in the passenge

dly at a girl who had just come in, a g

counter. "How odd! We have just decided to go back on her too. There's nothing to ke

olution of his mystery came to him. This girl must have heard of him in New York-perhaps she knew people whom he knew and it was on hearsay, not on personal acquaintan

ream of thought cut t

name,

pening to him to-day of all days, when he needed the

s holding aloft a pen. Jimmy gulped. Every name in the English language

s," he

held out

e ourselves at last.

u do, Mr.

u do, Miss

paper, he gathered dully, was a form and had to be filled up. He examined it, and found it to be

imple. Five

Simple

imple aga

of a more of

u a pol

-gold hair, brown-gold eyes, the right kind of mouth, and a dimple. Whatever dou

ever been

t

ifficult one. "Ar

ink dried on his pe

minutes to six. The platform was a confused mass of travellers, porters, baggage, trucks, boys with buns and fruits, boys with magazines, friends, relatives, and Bayliss the b

ge. Two fruit and bun boys who impeded his pass

of the suitcase. "I was afraid yo

out, Mr. James. I was

ed everything

ope of a suitc

way, give this letter

good

nage. I thought your voice so

, Mr. James. Your decision to

m? He saw an egg standing on its hea

liberty, Mr. James, is

ayliss. I may be a chump, but try

them. They both turned. The butler was gazing rat

, miss," he s

n astonishment, the

r son! We met at the steamship offices. And befo

onversation, was surprised further to perceive a warning scowl on the face of his Mr.

father has come down to see me

ss was frankly unequal to the sudden demand on his presence o

ng," whispered Jimmy confidenti

nt. No girl on earth could have been freer than she of snobbish prejudice, but she could not check a slight thrill of surprise and disappointment at the discovery of Jimm

the boat, Mr. B

said B

d Jimmy. "Good-

etail. She could see the father, the honest steady butler, living his life with but one aim, to make a gentleman of his beloved only son. Year by year he had saved. Probably he had sent the son to college. A

s aware of a glow of kindliness towards him. His father had succeeded in his life's ambition. He had produced a gentleman! How easily and simply, without a trace of snobbish shame, the you

ck pointed to three

to and fro lik

mmy. "It wasn't temporary

I think you had better

ou ever see such eyes? Such hair! Look after my father while I am away. Don't let the duke

at the cracklin

I really couldn't! A fiv

se! Be

not afford to throw away your money like this. You cannot h

t. Grab it! Oh, Lord, the train

t gathered speed. Jimmy, leaning out the window, was amazed at a spectacle so unusual as practically to amount to a modern miracle-the spectacled Bayliss

," he panted, "for taking the l

risp and crackling. Then, his mission performed, fell back and st

, like Ann farther along the train, of a lump in

ain mo