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quite a swathe in those days. Emerson sent him a cable saying, “We've got to have two rooms and at least one bathroom, preferably two, and I don't want any answer to this cable. Just get these rooms and meet us at the station.” So we got off the boat at Southampton. I hadn't slept the whole night before. When I got my first look at England, I can't tell you how excited I was. We rushed to buy a London paper right away, and the first remark Dick made on English soil was: “The bastards.” I said, “What's the matter?" He had opened the paper and found an ad for some whiskey using a checked border that Simon and Schuster used, and he was outraged. Of course he was only half-serious, but anyhow we all roared. Here was a young American over his first look at England screaming because the border of a whiskey advertisement was like his. This was Dick; supremely self-centered.

But we got up to London and we got off the train. Anita had about 19 pieces of baggage. Kommer was awaiting us, wringing his hands. He said, “I couldn't do it. There isn't a room in London.”

Emerson started berating him. Kommer said, “I have only one thing to tell you. Otto Kahn has a beautiful suite at the Savoy Hotel, and he's up grouse shooting in Scotland.” He concluded, “I say no more.”

John Emerson said, “That's all I have to hear.” So we piled in our baggage. We needed an extra taxicab for Anita's, We proceeded to the Savoy Hotel. Emerson was in life the character W. C. Fields played, the absolute bluff. He went