"'Well, we'll see,' I said.
"We went in. Maugham led the way, jittery as a confirmed tosspot too long gone without a drink."
"Which reminds me," I put in. "Will you have another, Harrigan?"
"Sure. But find something stronger," he said. "Well, we went in, as I said. I don't know what I had expected to see but there was nothing unusual about the place. It was spic and span. You'd think he'd had a housemaid working on it all day. And as for Herman—he was sitting in the living room in an easy chair that was clearly enough Maugham's own favorite.
"Maugham stared at his creation, as if he hadn't expected to see him there. 'Herman,' he said, 'go to the laboratory.'
"The robot got up without a sound—I had expected to hear creaks, the meshing of gears or something—and walked out of the room. Maugham sat down. I could see that he was sweating but he seemed relieved about something.
"'He looks perfected,' I said.
"'He's a very serviceable robot,' Maugham agreed. 'He certainly did himself proud on this room.'
"'You mean he cleaned it?' I asked.
"'Every foot of it,' he answered. 'I gave him his orders before I left the house.'