MR.    SMEETH    IS    WORRIED	485
"No. My name's Smeeth."
"Mr. Smeeth. Yes, that's right. He mentioned you
as well."
"Did he now?" Mr. Smeeth felt all the gratification
of a person who has been singled out, no matter by
whom. "Asked if I'd been in, I suppose, eh? Well, I
wish you'd tell him how sorry I am to hear he's laid up.
Tell him I say that Angel Pavement doesn't seem the
same place without him. And I hope he's stirring again
soon/'
"Yes, I will" The plump young woman hesitated a
moment, "I'll tell you what, Mr. Smeeth, if you just
happened to have a spare half-hour this afternoon,
perhaps you might like to go and see him. It's visiting
day up there to-day, you know. Three to four. My
mother's going up about half-past three, but if you could
have a look at him, just to give him a word or two and
pass the time of day, some time before then, just after
three, he'd be ever so pleased. But perhaps you're
busy."
"I don't know/' Mr. Smeeth thought it over, then
looked at his watch. "I think I will, you know. It
wouldn't take me long to slip round to Bart's. Where
shall I find him?"
She gave him elaborate directions. He remembered
then that he had wanted to have a word with Brown and
Gorstein, whose place was just off Old Street, He could
go round to Bart's first, and then up to Brown and
Gorstein's. It did not look like being a very busy after-
noon, and he had still three-quarters of an hour in which
to clear up a few odds and ends of jobs in the office
before he went.
At three o'clock he came out into Little Britain,