profusion. He was not one of those men who want but little here below.

As regards the financial side of these transactions, his method was
simple and masterly. If a tradesman suggested that a small cheque on
account would not be taken amiss, as one or two sordid fellows did, he
became pathetic.

"Confound it, sir," he would say with tears in his voice, laying a
hand on the man's shoulders in a wounded way, "it's a trifle hard,
when a gentleman comes to settle in your neighbourhood, that you
should dun him for money before he has got the preliminary expenses
about the house off his back." This sounded well, and suggested the
disbursement of huge sums for rent. The fact that the house had been
lent him rent free was kept with some care in the background. Having
weakened the man with pathos, he would strike a sterner note. "A
little more of this," he would go on, "and I'll close my account. Why,
damme, in all my experience I've never heard anything like it!" Upon
which the man would apologise, and go away, forgiven, with a large
order for more goods.

By these statesmanlike methods he had certainly made the place very
comfortable. I suppose we all realised that the things would have to
be paid for some day, but the thought did not worry us.

"Pay?" bellowed Ukridge on the only occasion when I ventured to bring
up the unpleasant topic, "of course we shall pay. Why not? I don't
like to see this faint-hearted spirit in you, old horse. The money
isn't coming in yet, I admit, but we must give it time. Soon we shall
be turning over hundreds a week, hundreds! I'm in touch with all the
big places,--Whiteley's, Harrod's, all the nibs. Here I am, I said to