"Empire? Yessir!"
"You'll be chucked out of there to a certainty," said Koko, despairingly.
"Not me," said Jim.
But at the music-hall Mortimer was politely refused admittance by a man as tall as himself, and considerably broader.
"No, sir; you gave us trouble the last time you were here. I haven't forgotten you, sir."
"But that was Boat Race night," protested Jim.
"No matter, sir; can't let you in."
And the official squared his great shoulders and glanced at another official, almost as big as himself, who was standing a few yards away. Simultaneously Koko gave Jim's sleeve a tug.
"Come on," he said; "no good getting into a row."
Reluctantly Jim turned on his heel; he was in a mood for battle, and he had an idea that, big as the official was, he (Jim) could have rendered a pretty good account of himself had it come to a scrap.