I agreed with him, adding, out of a nervous
politeness, from which I suffer sometimes, that I rather liked the
smell, "Then you're an idiot," said GIDLING, who never suffers from
politeness at all. He opened the door of his sitting-room, and then we
saw at once what was the matter. The lower part of the chimney was on
fire; the fire-place was covered with glowing masses of soot which had
fallen. "HANKIN's had another nasty touch of that influenza," remarked
GIDLING. HANKIN is GIDLING's servant, and at regular intervals becomes
incapacitated for work. HANKIN himself says that it is influenza, and
speaks of "another of them relapses;" GIDLING thinks that it is as
a rule intoxication. As a matter of fact HANKIN would not be a bad
servant if his zeal was distributed over him rather more evenly. It
is always either excessive or defective. It comes out in lumps. In
neglecting to have the chimney swept HANKIN had shown defect; in the
way that he had piled up the fire he had shown excess. In subsequently
absenting himself from the flat he had shown a certain amount of
wisdom, for GIDLING was rather angry.
"Not but what I can put it all right," said GIDLING. "I'm a practical
man. Fire Brigade? I thought you'd suggest a few fire brigades.
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