LONDON
It isn't so much for gain I let as company. We don't want the whole 'ouse, that's one thing, and another is I knew the man before. Met him at our Sociological, and after a bit he said he wasn't comfortable where he was. That's how it came about. He's a first-class chap—first class. Science! You should see his books!
"Properly he's a sort of journalist. He's written a lot of things, but he's been too ill lately to do very much. Poetry he's written, all sorts. He writes for the Commonweal sometimes, and sometimes he reviews books. He's got 'eaps of books—'eaps. Besides selling a lot.
"He knows a regular lot of people, and all sorts of things. He's been a dentist, and he's a qualified chemist, an' I seen him often reading German and French. Taught 'imself. He was here———"
Sid indicated South Kensington, which had come opportunely outside the carriage windows, with a nod of his head, "—three years. Studying science. But you'll see 'im. When he really gets to talking—he pours it out."
"Ah!" said Kipps, nodding sympathetically, with his two hands on his umbrella knob.
"He'll do big things some day," said Sid. "He's written a book on science already. 'Physiography,' it's called. 'Elementary Physiography'! Some day he'll write an Advanced—when he gets time."
He let this soak into Kipps.
"I can't introduce you to lords and swells," he went on, "but I can show you a Famous Man, that's going to be. I can do that. Leastways—unless———"
299
