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| The Garrick Club |
Emerging last night with Duff Tayler from Garrick. A very damp and chilly night. A lazy wind - it went right through you, not around. Stopped by a farly well dressed man of fifty or so.. A woman with him walked on. She was very soberly dressed. Too dark to see properly. Verbal exchange something like this (Duff left the talk to me):
Him - Excuse me speaking to you, but are you a member of the Garrick?
Me - I am.
Him - I hope you won't be offended by my speaking to you. Needless to say that if you are a member of the Garrick, then you are a gentleman. You won't be angry? You're looking very serious.
Me - I'm a serious man.
Him - You're an author or something?
Me - No, I'm just a man.
Him - But all you Garrick fellows are celebrities of some sort ...? Now that lady there (indicating) is my wife. She is my wife. We're ina deauce of a hole. Really in a hole. I'm a gentleman. Public school man. My brother is a general in the army, that is to say he is really a brigadier-general. I must introduce you to my wife ....
Then various prefatory remarks, and me getting colder and colder, and Duff putting in a word or two now and then.
Him - Now if you could oblige me with a little - just until the bank opens tomorrow morning. Give me your name and I will leave the money for you in an envelope. I'm a gentleman. You can trust me ...? Otherwise my wife and I are in for night out.
Me - I'm afraid I can't do that.
He didn't seem to be very disappointed.
Strange how these people can hope for success in cadging, but I suppose it works occasionally or they would give up on it. He probably haunted the entrance to the Garrick all evening. Duff said that his object in wanting to introduce his wife to me was to get hold of my name. The man had a weather-worn face. Spoke quite well and was undoubtedly what is known as a gentleman. It was a hell of a nasty night though not actually raining at the time. The wife was waiting about 100 yards up the street. I could see she was dressed in brown. A most deplorable case
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