The Englishman in the West 167 



corns, sublimely unconscious that he is inflicting 

 pain, or, to do him justice, he would be more con- 

 siderate. Many years ago, a sprig of English 

 nobility called upon a compatriot, at what was 

 then the most fashionable hotel in New York. In 

 the corner of the room was a coaching horn. The 

 mere sight of this filled my lord with a fine frenzy. 

 Before he could be stopped, he had seized and 

 was tooting it with all the strength of his lungs. 

 Bell-boys came a-running, and later a note from 

 the manager. His lordship promised to make an 

 amende honorable. "You see," he told the chief 

 clerk, " I Ve always understood that in the States 

 a man could toot his own horn wherever and when- 

 ever he pleased. So I naturally supposed, you 

 know, that he could toot another fellow's, if he 

 wanted to." This explanation was not considered 

 satisfactory. 



Johnnie always gathers round him other Britons 

 as helpless and impecunious as himself. Some of 

 these are remittance men, who go to town when 

 the cheque comes from home, and when the money 

 is squandered return to Johnnie's beans and bacon. 

 Of these gentlemen more will be said presently. 

 They belong for the most part to the rapacidce, 

 and must not be confounded with either the wild 

 or the domestic goose. 



When Johnnie's domain is taken from him (under 

 foreclosure proceedings), he seeks work where he 

 can find it, and the search wears out shoe leather. 

 Farmers know that he failed to take care of his own 

 property ; how — they ask pertinently — can he be 

 trusted to take care of theirs ? Finally, some com- 



