"When did you arrive?" Kendrick enquired. "Have you been in the
City yet?"

Wingate shook his head.

"I have spent the last two days in the north of England," he replied. "I
was rather interested in having a glance at conditions there. I only
arrived in London last night."

"But this morning?" Sarah asked him. "You don't mean to tell me that you
had strength of mind enough to keep away from the City?"

"I certainly do. I did not even telephone to my brokers. Kendrick here
knows that, for he is one of the firm."

"Then what did you do?" Sarah persisted, "I can't imagine you spending
your first morning in idleness."

"You might have called it idleness; I didn't," he answered, smiling. "I
had my hair cut and my nails manicured; I was measured for four new suits
of clothes, a certain number of shirts, and I bought some other
indispensable trifles."

"Dear me," Sarah murmured, "you aren't at all the sort of man I thought
you were!"

"Why not?"

"You don't seem energetic. I should have thought, even if you weren't