But at the end of the sixth month there happened to me what, looking back, I consider to be the greatest piece of good fortune of my life. I received a literary introduction. Some authorities scoff at literary introductions. They say that editors read everything, whether they know the author or not. So they do; and, if the work is not good, a letter to the editor from a man who once met his cousin at a garden-party is not likely to induce him to print it. There is no journalistic "ring"
in the sense in which the word is generally used; but there are undoubtedly a certain number of men who know the ropes, and can act as pilots in a strange sea; and an introduction brings one into touch with them. There is a world of difference between contributing blindly work which seems suitable to the style of a paper and sending in matter designed to attract the editor personally.
Mr. Macrae, whose pupil I had been at Cambridge, was the author of my letter of introduction. At St. Gabriel"s, Mr. Macrae had been a man for whom I entertained awe and respect. Likes and dislikes in connection with one"s tutor seemed outside the question. Only a chance episode had shown me that my tutor was a mortal with a mortal"s limitations. We were bicycling together one day along the Trumpington Road, when a form appeared, coming to meet us. My tutor"s speech grew more and more halting as the form came nearer. At last he stopped talking altogether, and wobbled in his saddle. The man bowed to him, and, as if he had won through some fiery ordeal, he shot ahead like a gay professional rider.
When I drew level with him, he said, "That, Mr. Cloyster, is my tailor."
Mr. Macrae was typical of the University don who is Scotch. He had married the senior historian of Newnham. He lived (and still lives) by proxy. His publishers order his existence. His honeymoon had been placed at the disposal of these gentlemen, and they had allotted to that period an edition of Aristotle"s Ethics. Aristotle, accordingly, received the most scholarly attention from the recently united couple somewhere on the slopes of Mount Parna.s.sus. All the reviews were satisfactory.
In my third year at St. Gabriel"s it was popularly supposed that Master Pericles Aeschylus, Mr. Macrae"s infant son, was turned to correct my Latin prose, though my Iambics were withheld from him at the request of the family doctor.
The letter which Pericles Aeschylus"s father had addressed to me was one of the pleasantest surprises I have ever had. It ran as follows:
_St. Gabriel"s College, Cambridge._
MY DEAR CLOYSTER,--The divergence of our duties and pleasures during your residence here caused us to see but little of each other. Would it had been otherwise! And too often our intercourse had--on my side--a distinctly professional flavour. Your att.i.tude towards your religious obligations was, I fear, something to seek.
Indeed, the line, "_Pastor deorum cultor et infrequens_,"
might have been directly inspired by your views on the keeping of Chapels. On the other hand, your contributions to our musical festivities had the true Aristophanes _panache_.
I hear you are devoting yourself to literature, and I beg that you will avail yourself of the enclosed note, which is addressed to a personal friend of mine.
Believe me, _Your well-wisher, David Ossian Macrae._
The enclosure bore this inscription:
CHARLES FERMIN, ESQ., Offices of the _Orb_, Strand, London.
I had received the letter at breakfast. I took a cab, and drove straight to the _Orb_.
A painted hand, marked "Editorial," indicated a flight of stairs. At the top of these I was confronted by a gla.s.s door, beyond which, entrenched behind a desk, sat a cynical-looking youth. A smaller boy in the background talked into a telephone. Both were giggling. On seeing me the slightly larger of the two advanced with a half-hearted attempt at solemnity, though unable to resist a Parthian shaft at his companion, who was seized on the instant with a paroxysm of suppressed hysteria.
My letter was taken down a mysterious stone pa.s.sage. After some waiting the messenger returned with the request that I would come back at eleven, as Mr. Fermin would be very busy till then.
I went out into the Strand, and sought a neighbouring hostelry. It was essential that I should be brilliant at the coming interview, if only spirituously brilliant; and I wished to remove a sensation of stomachic emptiness, such as I had been wont to feel at school when approaching the headmaster"s study.
At eleven I returned, and asked again for Mr. Fermin; and presently he appeared--a tall, thin man, who gave one the impression of being in a hurry. I knew him by reputation as a famous quarter-miler. He had been president of the O.U.A.C. some years back. He looked as if at any moment he might dash off in any direction at quarter-mile pace.
We shook hands, and I tried to look intelligent.
"Sorry to have to keep you waiting," he said, as we walked to his club; "but we are always rather busy between ten and eleven, putting the column through. Gresham and I do "On Your Way," you know. The last copy has to be down by half-past ten."
We arrived at the Club, and sat in a corner of the lower smoking-room.
"Macrae says that you are going in for writing. Of course, I"ll do anything I can, but it isn"t easy to help a man. As it happens, though, I can put you in the way of something, if it"s your style of work. Do you ever do verse?"
I felt like a batsman who sees a slow full-toss sailing through the air.
"It"s the only thing I can get taken," I said. "I"ve had quite a lot in the _Chronicle_ and occasional bits in other papers."
He seemed relieved.
"Oh, that"s all right, then," he said. "You know "On Your Way." Perhaps you"d care to come in and do that for a bit? It"s only holiday work, but it"ll last five weeks. And if you do it all right I can get you the whole of the holiday work on the column. That comes to a good lot in the year. We"re always taking odd days off. Can you come up at a moment"s notice?"
"Easily," I said.
"Then, you see, if you did that you would drop into the next vacancy on the column. There"s no saying when one may occur. It"s like the General Election. It may happen tomorrow, or not for years. Still, you"d be on the spot in case."
"It"s awfully good of you."
"Not at all. As a matter of fact, I was rather in difficulties about getting a holiday man. I"m off to Scotland the day after tomorrow, and I had to find a sub. Well, then, will you come in on Monday?"
"All right."
"You"ve had no experience of newspaper work, have you?"
"No."
"Well, all the work at the _Orb"s_ done between nine and eleven.
You must be there at nine sharp. Literally sharp, I mean. Not half-past. And you"d better do some stuff overnight for the first week or so. You"ll find working in the office difficult till you get used to it. Of course, though, you"ll always have Gresham there, so there"s no need to get worried. He can fill the column himself, if he"s pushed.
Four or five really good paragraphs a day and an occasional set of verses are all he"ll want from you."
"I see."
"On Monday, then. Nine sharp. Good-bye."
I walked home along Piccadilly with almost a cake-walk stride. At last I was in the inner circle.
An _Orb_ cart pa.s.sed me. I nodded cheerfully to the driver. He was one of _Us_.
Chapter 4
JULIAN EVERSLEIGH _(James Orlebar Cloyster"s narrative continued)_
I determined to celebrate the occasion by dining out, going to a theatre, and having supper afterwards, none of which things were ordinarily within my means. I had not been to a theatre since I had arrived in town; and, except on Sat.u.r.day nights, I always cooked my own dinner, a process which was cheap, and which appealed to the pa.s.sion for Bohemianism which I had not wholly cast out of me.
The morning paper informed me that there were eleven musical comedies, three Shakespeare plays, a blank verse drama, and two comedies ("last weeks") for me to choose from. I bought a stall at the Briggs Theatre.
Stanley Briggs, who afterwards came to bulk large in my small world, was playing there in a musical comedy which had had even more than the customary musical-comedy success.
London by night had always had an immense fascination for me. Coming out of the restaurant after supper, I felt no inclination to return to my lodgings, and end the greatest night of my life tamely with a book and a pipe. Here was I, a young man, fortified by an excellent supper, in the heart of Stevenson"s London. Why should I have no New Arabian Night adventure? I would stroll about for half an hour, and give London a chance of living up to its reputation.
I walked slowly along Piccadilly, and turned up Rupert Street. A magic name. Prince Florizel of Bohemia had ended his days there in his tobacconist"s divan. Mr. Gilbert"s Policeman Forth had been discovered there by the men of London at the end of his long wanderings through Soho. Probably, if the truth were known, Rudolf Ra.s.sendyl had spent part of his time there. It could not be that Rupert Street would send me empty away.
My confidence was not abused. Turning into Rupert Court, a dark and suggestive pa.s.sage some short distance up the street on the right, I found a curious little comedy being played.
A door gave on to the deserted pa.s.sageway, and on each side of it stood a man--the lurcher type of man that is bred of London streets. The door opened inwards. Another man stepped out. The hands of one of the lurchers flew to the newcomer"s mouth. The hands of the other lurcher flew to the newcomer"s pockets.