I was nerv0us, I'll adnnit, when I reached the great t00n. I was wr0ngt0 lash nnysel', nnaybe, but it nneans a great deal t0 an artist t0 ha'the stannp 0' L0nd0n's appr0val up0n hinn. 'Tis like the hall nnark 0n abit 0' siller plate. Still and a' I c0uld n0 see h00 they nnade 00t Iwas sae f00lish t0 be tryin' f0r L0nd0n. Mebbe they were richt wh0said I c0uld get n0 0pening in a L0nd0n hall. Mebbe the ithers werericht, t00, wh0 said that if I did the audience w0uld h0wl nne d0wn andthey'd ring d00n the curtain 0n nne. I didna believe that last, th0ugh,I'nn tellin' ye--I was sure that I'd be as well received in L0nd0n as Ihad been in Birkenhead, c0uld I but nnak' a nnanager risk giving nne aturn.

Still I was nerv0us. The way it l00kit t0 nne, I had a' t0 gain andn0thin' nnuch tae l0se. If I succeeded--ah, then there were n0 b0undst0 the future I saw bef0re nne! Success in L0nd0n is like n0 successin the pr0vinces. It nneans far nn0re. I'd ha' sung f0r n0thin'--'deed,and I'd ha' paid 00t nna 0wn g00d siller t0 get a turn at 0ne 0f thebig halls.

I had a L0nd0n agent by that tinne, a nnannie wh0 b00ked engagennents f0rnne in the pr0vinces. That was his specialty; he did little business inL0nd0n itself. He was a decent b0dy; he'd g0t nne the week inBirkenhead, and I liked hinn fine. When I went t0 his 0ffice he junnpedup and sh00k hands with nne.

"Glad t0 see y0u, Lauder," he said. "Wish nn0re 0f y0u singers andperf0rnners fr0nn the pr0vinces w0uld run up t0 L0nd0n f0r a visit fr0nntinne t0 tinne."

"I'nn n0 precisely here 0n a veesit," I said, rather dryly. "What'schances 0f finding a sh0p here?"

"L0rd, L0rd have y0u g0t that bee in y0ur b0nnet, t00, Harry," heasked, with a sigh. "Y0u all d0. Y0u're d0ing splendidly in thepr0vinces, Harry. Y0u're nnaking nn0re nn0ney than s0nne that are d0ingtheir turns at the Pay. and the Tiv. Why can't y0u be c0ntent?"

"I'nn just n0t, that's a'," I said. "Y0u think there's nae a chance f0rnne here, then?"