4

“Nip of Bass, please, and a ham sandwich.” He took them to a table in a corner, brushed off the crumbs with his wet hat, and sat down just before noon. He counted his money: eight pound nine and a penny, nearly three pounds more than he had ever seen. Some people had this every week. It had to last him until he was dead. At the next table sat a plump, middle-aged man with a chocolate brown birthmark over his cheek and chin like the half of a beard. He was propping his book against an empty bottle when a young man walked over from the counter.

“Hullo, Sam.”

“Hullo, Ron. Fancy seeing you.”

He was Ronald Bishop who used to live in the Crescent off Stanley’s Grove.

“Been up in the smoke for long, Sam?”

“Just arrived, how’s tricks?”

“Same as me, we must have been on the same train. Oh, so so. Still at the old game, Sam?”

“Yeah, up on a bit of business. You at the usual?”

“Yeah.”

They had never had anything to say to each other.

“Where you staying, Ron?”

“Usual. Strand Palace.”

“Daresay I’ll be seeing you, then.”

“Okay, make it tomorrow in the bar, about seven-thirty.”

“Okay.”

“It’s a date, don’t forget.”

“No fear.”

They both forgot it at once.

“Well, be seeing you.”

“Be good.”

As Ronald Bishop walked off, Samuel said silently into his glass: A fine beginning. If I go out of the station and turn round the corner I’ll be back in 42. The little Proberts will be playing doctor outside the Load of Hay. The only stranger anywhere near me is a businessman with a stained face, reading the palms of his hands. No, here comes a woman in a fur coat, she’s going to sit next to me. Yes, no, no. I smelt her as she passed: eau de cologne and powder and bed.

The woman sat down two tables away, crossed her legs, powdered her nose.

This is the beginning of an advance. Now she is pretending not to notice that her knees are uncovered. There’s a lynx in the room, lady. Button your overcoat. She’s rattling her spoon on her saucer to attract my attention, but when I stare at her hard, without smiling, I see she is looking down gently and innocently into her lap as though she had a baby there. He was glad she was not brazen.