Gerard Garvin Steele<br > THE corridor was carpeted in plum and panelled in ornately-<br >speckled woods. It was wide and high， with a ceiling elabor-<br >ately worked in moulded plaster and crystal. When the d6cor of<br >the thirties becomes fashionable again， its contents will be<br >worth almost what they cost， but meanwhile they are over-<br >ornate relics. The man s feet moved along a line bisecting the<br >length of the corridor; on anything less aborbent of sound than<br >the plum carpet， they would have clumped. The walk was<br >slightly forward-leaning， a little spring-heeled. Like the rest of<br >him it was aggressive; he marched down the middle of the<br >corridor， head down， brooding; a man so immersed in deep and<br >penetrating thought that anybody approaching would instantly<br >sense its importance and stand aside to let him pass.<br > A woman did this. She came out of one of the doors and，<br >seeing his approach， stood against the wall.<br > Good afternoon， Mr. Steele. <br > She watched him walk past her. He did not acknowledge her<br > greeting or even her presence and she wondered idly what was<br > happening inside that shaggy and leonine head.<br > If the human brain made noises indicative of its emotions，<br > the woman would have heard a sharp hiss of simmering resent-<br > ment. Steele had been summoned. He was walking along the<br > corridor to the managing director s office. Nor did he know<br > why. All three facts offended him. He was， after all， the editor<br > of an important journal of news and comment， wielder of<br > influence， dispenser of patronage， arbiter of style and taste.<br > People should and did come to him.<br > He opened the speckled door and Marion Fisher looked up<br > pleasantly. Oh， Mr. Steele. He won t keep you a moment. <br > Steele said， For Christ s Sake， it s press day tomorrow! <br > I know it is. But the Chairman telephoned him， Mr.<br > Steele. Her tone was mollifying but her manner was no-non-<br > sense. Steele walked across to the window， wishing he could<br >7<br ><br >