They passed the first car, whose driver was already planning the ways to spend the money which he was to make by a little scientific blackmail.
He was destined to a long wait in front of the brownstone mansion.
After nearly an hour he decided to take things into his own hands.
"I'll get a little now," he muttered with an accompaniment of profanity. "That guy can't stall me."
After ringing the bell for several minutes a very angry caretaker came to the door.
"What do you want, my man?" cried this individual in unmistakable British accents. "Dash your blooming impudence in waking me up at this time in the morning."
"I want to get my taxicab fare from the gent that brought the lady here drunk!" declared the chauffeur. "Are you her father?"
The caretaker shook a fist in his face as he snapped back:
"I'm nobody's father. There ain't no gent nor drunk lady here. I'm alone in this house, and my master and missus is at Palm Beach. If you don't get away from here I'm going to call the police."
With that he slammed the door in the face of the astounded chauffeur and turned out the light in the hall.