The toot-toot of an automobile cut short the discussion. The American millionaire had arrived! Everybody now started on the run: landlord, two maids in blue dresses with white cap strings flying, three hostlers, two garage men, four dogs, all bowing and scraping--all except the dogs. “What did I tell you?” laughed Mac, tapping the curate’s broad chest with the end of his plump finger. “That’s the way you all do. With us a porter would help him out, a hotel clerk assign him a room, and that would end it. The next morning the only man to do him reverence would be the waiter behind his chair figuring for the extra tip. Look at them. Same old kotow. No wonder he thinks himself a duke.” The party had disembarked now and were nearing the door of the private entrance, the two women in Mother Hubbard veils, the two men in steamer-caps and goggles--the valet and maid carrying the coats and parasols. The larger of the two men shed his goggles, changed his steamer-cap for a slouch hat which his valet handed him, and disappeared inside, followed by the landlord. The smaller man, his hands and arms laden with shawls and wraps, gesticulated for an instant as if giving orders to the two chauffeurs, waited until both machines had backed away, and entered the open door. “Who do you think the big man is, Mac?” Lonnegan asked. “Don’t know, and don’t want to know.” “Lambert.” “What! Saw Logs?” “The same, and--yes--by Jove! That little fellow with the wraps is Tommy.” A moment later Tommy reappeared and made straight for the barmaid. “Get me some crushed ice and vermouth,” he said. “We carry our Hollands with us. Why, Mr. MacWhirter! and Mr. Lonnegan! and--” (I was the “and”--but he seemed to have forgotten my name.) “Well, this _is_ a surprise!” Neither the mill-owner nor the curate came within range of his eyes. “Where have I been? Well, I’ll have to think. We did London for a week--Savoy for supper--Prince’s for luncheon--theatre every night--that sort of thing. Picked up a couple of Gainsboroughs at Agnew’s and some tapestries belonging to Lord--forget his name--had a letter.” (Here Tommy fumbled in his pocket.) “No, I remember now, I gave it to Sam. Then we motored to Ravenstock--looked over the Duke’s stables--spent the night with a very decent chap Sam met in the Rockies last year-son of Lord Wingfall, and--” The ice was ready now (it was hived in a keg and hidden in the cellar, and took time to get at), and so was the vermouth and the glasses, all on a tray. “No, I’ll carry it.” This to the barmaid, who wanted to call a waiter. “I never let anybody attend to this for Sam but myself”--this to us. “I’ll be back in a minute.”