Page:Tex; a chapter in the life of Alexander Teixeira de Mattos (IA texchapterinlife00mcke).pdf/87



sang Clement Scott in a visitors'-book discovered by Max Beerbohm, who tore him to pieces for it in the Saturday'', in an article signed "Max." Scott, pretending not to know who Max was, flew to the Era and wrote his famous absurdity, "Come out of your hole, rat!" Gad, how we used to laugh in those days!''

My reply began:

''I resent your practice of heading your letters with the unseemly time at which you leave a warm and comfortable bed. And I dated my own: 22 May, 1919. Cocktail-time. What would you think of me if I headed my letters with the equally unseemly time at which I sometimes go to bed? I have been working so late one or two nights last week and this that the times would coincide, and you might bid me good-morning as I bade you good-night''

''I went to a musical party I felt that it was incumbent upon me to see whether you had done anything in the matter of the Belgian quartette. You will be shocked to hear that the quartette is not only still in existence, but''