The man who entered the room was of sufficiently remarkable appearance to have attracted attention anywhere.

He was short, but so fat that he looked less than his actual height, which was barely five feet.

His ponderous head, which was covered with short stiff black hair, like a brush, seemed to merge into his body without any neck, and two black eyes glittered like diamond points in the white expanse of his hairless face.

As he advanced towards the table these eyes roved quickly from one to the other of the faces on the other side of the table.

He was in every way a remarkable contrast to his employer, and a painter in search of a subject might have been tempted to take the pair as models for a picture of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza.
"Take that chair and answer my questions," said Mr.Cromering, addressing the waiter in a very loud voice.