TOD SLOAN 



loud whispered conversation, part of which, I got 

 the idea, was to the effect that the man sitting down 

 would give the waiter five shillings if he would upset 

 the table and the champagne over me — ^and my suit ! 

 I could not make out then, nor have I been able to 

 since, whether he was annoyed with me personally or 

 that my " costume " got up and hit him. Do you 

 understand ? I thought the whole thing was maliciously 

 done. Shortly, an accident did happen ; our table 

 was upset, and I caught the bottle before it had 

 got to the ground. Having it in my right hand 

 as the waiter lurched towards me I made a light 

 jab at him with the neck of it, meaning just to 

 give him a reminder. The bottle never left my 

 hand but where I touched him on the lip he was 

 cut, not a bit badly but enough to bring a little 

 blood. He went away then and was talking to the 

 proprietor for a while. A few got wind of the fact 

 that there had been a bit of a shindy and came around. 

 I had just left the place, without waiting any longer for 

 Chaloner, when Bill Goode came to me and said : 



" That waiter has got a cut in the mouth. Now 

 you don't want any fuss about it ; you don't know the 

 place like I do and it would be as well to square him." 



I protested against doing anything of the kind. 

 However, he kept on at me and at last I gave way to 

 his advice and handed him five pounds — five pounds 

 in gold mind you. Goode came back and told me that 

 the man wasn't hurt and was not only satisfied with 

 the fiver, but I could have another go for him at the 

 same price ! 



The whole thing at the time seemed a simple annoy- 

 ance, and dinner almost made me forget all about it. 

 However, in the evening another man, a fellow- employe 

 of the injured waiter, asked for me and handed me a 



170 



