XIV. A COLD WORLD

Herbert is a man who knows all about railway tickets, and packing, and
being in time for trains, and things like that. But I fancy I have
taught him a lesson at last. He won't talk quite so much about tickets
in future.

I was just thinking about getting up when he came into my room. He
looked at me in horror.

"My dear fellow!" he said. "And you haven't even packed! You'll be late.
Here, get up, and I'll pack for you while you dress."

"Do," I said briefly.

"First of all, what clothes are you going to travel in?"

There was no help for it. I sat up in bed and directed operations.

"Right," said Herbert. "Now what about your return ticket? You mustn't
forget that."

"You remind me of a little story," I said. "I'll tell it you while you
pack--that will be nice for you. Once upon a time I lost my return
ticket, and I had to pay two pounds for another. And a month afterwards
I met a man--a man like you who knows all about tickets--and he said,
'You could have got the money back if you had applied at once.' So I
said, 'Give me a cigarette now, and I'll transfer all my rights in the
business to you.' And he gave me a cigarette; but unfortunately----"

"It was too late?"

"No. Unfortunately it wasn't. He got the two pounds. The most expensive
cigarette I've ever smoked."

"Well, that just shows you," said Herbert. "Here's your ticket. Put it
in your waistcoat pocket now."

"But I haven't got a waistcoat on, silly."

"Which one are you going to put on?"

"I don't know yet. This is a matter which requires thought. Give me
time, give me air."

"Well, I shall put the ticket here on the dressing-table, and then you
can't miss it." He looked at his watch. "And the trap starts in half an
hour."

"Help!" I cried, and I leapt out of bed.

Half an hour later I was saying good-bye to Herbert.

"I've had an awfully jolly time," I said, "and I'll come again."

"You've got the ticket all right?"

"Rather!" and I drove away amidst cheers. Cheers of sorrow.

It was half-an-hour's drive to the station. For the first five minutes I
thought how sickening it was to be leaving the country; then I had a
slight shock; and for the next twenty-five minutes I tried to remember
how much a third single to the nearest part of London cost. Because I
had left my ticket on the dressing-table after all.

I gave my luggage to a porter and went off to the station-master.

"I wonder if you can help me,"