I was a little disconcerted, and my easy confidence suffered a shrinkage. The man stood as motionless as Gibraltar, and kept his unblinking eye upon me. It was very embarrassing, very humiliating. I stammered at a false start or two; then——
“I have just run down from——”
“Av ye plaze, ye’ll not smoke here, ye understand.”
I laid my cigar on the window-ledge; chased my flighty thoughts a moment, then said in a placating manner:
“I—I have come to see Mr. Daly.”
“Oh, ye have, have ye?”
“Yes”
“Well, ye’ll not see him.”
“But he asked me to come.”