The florid man took it
upon himself to put everybody right, with the result that before
Piccadilly Circus was reached three passengers had threatened to
report the conductor for unbecoming language. The conductor had
called a policeman and had taken the names and addresses of the two
ladies, intending to sue them for the fourpence (which they wanted
to pay, but which the florid man would not allow them to do); the
younger lady had become convinced that the elder lady had meant to
cheat her, and the elder lady was in tears.
The florid gentleman and myself continued to Charing Cross Station.
At the booking office window it transpired that we were bound for
the same suburb, and we journeyed down together. He talked about
the fourpence all the way.
At my gate we shook hands, and he was good enough to express
delight at the discovery that we were near neighbours. What
attracted him to myself I failed to understand, for he had bored me
considerably, and I had, to the best of my ability, snubbed him.
Subsequently I learned that it was a peculiarity of his to be
charmed with anyone who did not openly insult him.
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