in the hands of Mr.
John, this gentleman's only son.

I found Mr. Joseph Canning with his feet crossed on his blotting-pad,
his body tilted far back in his chair, and his first morning cigar
tilted far upward between his teeth, its ash perilously close to one
bushy grey eyebrow.

'Well, me lad,' he said as I entered, 'how's the Omniferacious one?
Blooming as ever, I hope.'

I explained that I had left Mr. Perkins in the best of health, and
proceeded to answer, so far as I was able, the string of subsequent
questions put to me regarding the town of Dursley, its principal
residents, business progress, and chief hotel. I gathered that Mr.
Canning had paid one visit to Dursley, under the auspices of its
Omnigerentual Agent, and that while there he had contrived, with Mr.
Perkins's assistance no doubt, 'to make that little town fairly hum.'

We talked in this strain for some time, and then Mr. Canning rose from
his chair, clearly under the impression that his business with me had
been satisfactorily completed, and prepared to dismiss me cordially,
and proceed to other matters.

'Ah!' he ejaculated cheerfully, extending his right hand to me, and
moving toward the door. 'Quite pleasant to have a chat about little
Dursley. Well, take care of yourself in the big city, you know--bed by
ten o'clock, and that sort of thing, you know; and--er--never touch
anything in the morning. Safest plan.'

By this time the door was open, and I, on the threshold, was feeling
considerably bewildered. With a great effort I managed to force out
some such words as:

'And if you should hear of any sort of situation that I----'

At that he grabbed my hand again, and pulled me back into the room.

'Of course, of course! God bless my soul, I'd clean forgotten!' he
exclaimed hurriedly as he strode across to his table and rang a bell.

'Ask Mr. John to kindly step this way a minute, will ye?' he said to
the lad who answered the bell. 'Forget me name next, I suppose,' he
added to me in a confidential undertone. 'Tut, tut! And I read
Perkins's letter again just before you came in, too! Ah, here you are,
John. Come in a minute, will you?'

A vigorous-looking fair-haired man of about five-and-thirty came into
the room now, with the air of one who had been interrupted. He wore no
coat, and his spotless shirt-sleeves were held well up on his arms by
things like garters clasped above the elbow.

'Ah, John,' began his father, 'this is Mr. Perkins's