The ignored person, on the other hand, showed an instant interest in the appearance of Mr. Staff. You might have thought that he had been waiting for the latter to come in--absurd as this might seem, in view of the fact that Staff had made up his mind to book for home only within the last quarter-hour. None the less, on sight of him this other patron of the company, who had seemed till then to be of two minds as to what he wanted, straightened up and bent a freshened interest on the cabin-plot which the clerk had spread out upon the counter for his advisement. And a moment after Staff had audibly stated his wishes, the other prodded a certain spot of the chart with a thin and fragile forefinger. "I'll take this one," he said quietly. "Upper'r lower?" enquired his clerk. "Lower." "Then-Q," said the clerk.... Meanwhile Staff had caught the eye of an impregnable young Englishman behind the counter; and, the latter coming forward, he opened negotiations with a succinct statement: "I want to book on the Autocratic, sailing tomorrow from Liverpool, if I'm not mistaken." "Quite so," said his clerk, not without condescension. "For yourself, may I awsk?" "For myself alone." "Then-Q." The clerk fetched a cabin-plot. "I'm afraid, sir," he said, removing a pencil from behind his ear the better to make his meaning clear, "there's not much choice. It's quite late to book, you know; and this is the rush season for westbound traffic; everything's just about full up." "I understand; but still you can make room for me somewhere, I hope." "Oh, yes. Quite so, indeed. It's only a question of what you'd like. Now we have a _cabine de luxe_--" "Not for me," said Staff firmly. "Then-Q.... The only other accommodation I can offer you is a two-berth stateroom on the main-deck." "An outside room?" "Yes, sir. You can see for yourself. Here it is: berths 432 and 433. You'll find it quite cosy, I'm sure." Staff nodded, eyeing the cubicle indicated by the pencil-point. "That'll do," said he. "I'll take it." "Then-Q. Upper'r lower berth, sir?" "Both," said Staff, trying not to look conscious--and succeeding. "Both, sir?"--in tones of pained expostulation. "Both!"--reiterated in a manner that challenged curiosity. "Ah," said the clerk wearily, "but, you see, I thought I understood you to say you were alone." "I did; but I want privacy." "I see. Then-Q."--as who should say: _Another mad Amayrican_. With this the clerk took himself off to procure a blank ticket. While he waited, Staff was entertained by snatches of a colloquy at the far end of the counter, where the other patron was being catechised as to his pedigree by the other booking-clerk. What he heard ran something to the following effect: "What did you say the name was, sir?" "_The_ name?" "If you please--" "What name?" "Your name, sir." "I didn't say, did I?" "No, sir." "Ah! I thought not."