A SUNDAY "HOCK" 



delighted, and enjoy every bit himself. He would eat 

 a lot too, but when we were together and drifted 

 through a long evening into the early morning at all- 

 night cafes he would not or could not take anything 

 but hot milk. 



He knew more about Paris than many born and bred 

 men in the city, and how to manage things. I can 

 recall that one Sunday — it was a big race day — an 

 American I knew came to me saying : " Look here, old 

 man, I was up late last night playing a game, and lost 

 all my ready money. I must go to the race-track to-day, 

 and I haven't ten dollars. Say, I have these two rings, 

 mine and one of Madame's ; they're worth two 

 thousand dollars. Can you get me five thousand 

 francs anywhere ? " Now I ask you : Sunday and after 

 twelve o'clock ! There was no chance with the mont 

 de piete, there was no earthly at that hour at the 

 clubs, besides which, it is an odd sort of jaunt to hawk 

 a couple of " fawnees " round to raise the wind on. 

 I was at my wit's end. It would have been easy to 

 say : " I don't know anyone," but the owner of the rings 

 was so crazy on going racing. I suggested his hotel 

 manager, but he explained that he had borrowed the 

 previous evening to play cards with. 



Suddenly I thought of Seidlitz, and we drove round 

 to his place. It was an off chance, but he was a man 

 of such illimitable resource. I told him in a few words 

 the American had told me to ask him to dejeuner. 

 That did it. The Prussian thought for a moment : 

 then I put in as a make-weight the luncheon at Larue's, 

 and he could order it. " I'll manage it," he said. 

 " We'll drive to Larue's : we'll order the dejeuner. 

 Your friend will lend me his carriage and I'll be back 

 in ten minutes." I introduced the two men, and the 

 American was in the seventh heaven. We ordered a 



159 



