Itwasstrangetoseehim,afteralltheseyears,hereontheplatformofEuston,lookingsoprosperousandsolid.Itwasnotonlythef?leshthathehadputon,butalsotheclothes,thatmadehimhardtorecognize.Intheolddays,animitationfurcoathadseemedtobeasanintegralpartofhimaswerehisill-shornlanternjaws.Butnowhiscostumewasamodelofrichandsombermoderation,drawing,notcalling,attentiontoitself.Helookedlikeabanker.Anyonecouldhavebeenproudtobeseenoffbyhim.
「Standback,please!」thetrainwasabouttostart,andIwavedfarewelltomyfriend.LeRosdidnotstandback.HestoodclaspinginbothhandsthehandsoftheyoungAmerican.「Standback,sir,please!」heobeyed,butquicklydartedforwardagaintowhispersomef?inalword.Ithinkthereweretearsinhereyes.Therecertainlyweretearsinhiswhen,atlength,havingwatchedthetrainoutofsight,heturnedround.Heseemed,nevertheless,delightedtoseeme.HeaskedmewhereIhadbeenhidingalltheseyears;andsimultaneouslyrepaidmethehalf-crownasthoughithadbeenborrowedyesterday.Helinkedhisarminmine,andwalkedwithmeslowlyalongtheplatform,sayingwithwhatpleasurehereadmydramaticcriticismseverySaturday.
Itoldhim,inreturn,howmuchhewasmissedonthestage.「Ah,yes,」hesaid,「Ineveractonthestagenowadays.」Helaidsomeemphasisontheword「stage」.andIaskedhimwhere,then,hedidact.「Ontheplatform,」heanswered.「Youmean,」saidI,「thatyoureciteatconcerts?」Hesmiled.「This,」hewhispered,strikinghisstickontheground,「istheplatformImean.」Hadhismysteriousprosperityunhingedhim?Helookedquitesane.Ibeggedhimtobemoreexplicit.
「Isuppose,」hesaidpresently,givingmealightforthecigarwhichhehadofferedme,「Youhavebeenseeingafriendoff?Iassented.HeaskedmewhatIsupposedhehadbeendoing.IsaidthatIhadwatchedhimdoingthesamething.「No,」hesaidgravely.「Thatladywasnotafriendofmine.Imetherforthef?irsttimethismorning,lessthanhalfanhourago,here.」andagainhestrucktheplatformwithhisstick.
IconfessedthatIwasbewildered.Hesmiled.「Youmay,」hesaid,「haveheardoftheAnglo-AmericanSocialBureau?Ihadnot.HeexplainedtomethatofthethousandsofAmericanswhoannuallypassthroughEnglandtherearemanyhundredswhohavenoEnglishfriends.Intheolddaystheyusedtobringlettersofintroduction.ButtheEnglisharesoinhospitablethattheselettersarehardlyworththepapertheyarewrittenon.「Thus,」aidLeRos,「theA.A.S.B.suppliesalong-feltwant.Americansareasociablepeople,andmostofthemhaveplentyofmoneytospend.TheA.A.S.B.suppliesthemwithEnglishfriends.F?iftypercentofthefeesispaidovertothefriends.Theotherf?iftyisretainedbytheA.A.S.B.Iamnot,alas!Adirector.IfIwere,Ishouldbeaveryrichmanindeed.Iamonlyanemployee.ButevensoIdoverywell.Iamoneoftheseers-off.」
AgainIaskedforenlightenment.「ManyAmericans,」hesaid,「cannotaffordtokeepfriendsinEngland.Buttheycanallaffordtobeseenoff.Thefeeisonlyf?ivepounds(twenty-f?ivedollars)forasingletraveller;andeightpounds(fortydollars)forapartyoftwoormore.TheysendthatintotheBureau,givingthedateoftheirdeparture,andadescriptionbywhichtheseer-offcanidentifythemontheplatform.Andthen—well,thentheyareseenoff.」
「Butisitworth」Iexclaimed.「Ofcourseitisworthit,」saidLeRos.「Itpreventsthemfromfeeling『Outofit』.Itearnsthemtherespectoftheguard.Itsavesthemfrombeingdespisedbytheirfellow-passengers—thepeoplewhoaregoingtobeontheboat.Itgivesthemafootingforthewholevoyage.Besides,itisagreatpleasureinitself.Yousawmeseeingthatyoungladyoff.Didn』tyouthinkIdiditbeautifully?」「Beautifully,」Iadmitted.「Ienviedyou.TherewasI—」「Yes,Icanimagine.Therewereyou,shuff?lingfromheadtofoot,staringblanklyatyourfriend,tryingtomakeconversation.Iknow.That』showIusedtobemyself,beforeIstudied,andwentintothethingprofessionally.Idon』tsayI』mperfectyet.I』mstillamartyrtoplatformfright.Arailwaystationisthemostdiff?icultofallplacestoactin,asyouhavediscoveredforyourself.」「But,」Isaidwithresentment,「Iwasn』ttryingtoact.Ireallyfelt.」「sodidI,myboy,」aidLeRos.「Youcan』tactwithoutfeeling.What』s-his-name,theFrenchman—Diderot,yes—saidyoucould;butwhatdidheknowaboutit?Don』tyouseethosetearsinmyeyeswhenthetrainstarted?Ihadn』tforcedthem.ItellyouIwasmoved.Sowereyou,Idaresay.Butyoucouldn』thavepumpedupateartoproveit.Youcan』texpressyourfeelings.Inotherwords,youcan』tact.Atanyrate,「headdedkindly,」notinarailwaystation.」「Teachme!」cried.Helookedthoughtfullyatme.「Well,」hesaidatlength,「theseeing-offseasonispracticallyover.Yes,I』llgiveyouacourse.Ihaveagoodmanypupilsonhandalready;butyes,」hesaid,consultinganornatenotebook,「IcouldgiveyouanhouronTuesdaysandFridays.」