"I am very glad," he says, "to welcome such a very
well-known--h'm--such a distinguished--er----"
"Writer," says the City Remembrancer behind the hack of his hand.
"Such a distinguished writer. The author of so many famous biog----"
"Novels," breathes the City Remembrancer, gazing up at the ceiling.
"So many famous novels," continues the Lord Mayor quite undisturbed,
for he is used to it by this time. "The author of _East Lynne_----"
The City Remembrancer coughs and walks across to the other side of the
Lord Mayor, murmuring _Tess of the D'Urbervilles_ to the back of the
Mayoral head as he goes. The Lord Mayor then repeats that he is
delighted to welcome the author of _Death and the Door-bells_ to the
City, and holds out his hand to Mr. John Sargent.
"The painter," says the City Remembrancer, his lips, from long
practice, hardly moving.
In the sanctity of the home that evening, while removing his chains of
office, the Lord Mayor (we may suppose) tells his sleepy wife what an
interesting day he has had, and how Mr.
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