The London Venture
MICHAEL ARLEN
By MICHAEL ARLEN
The Green Hat
"Piracy"
The London Venture
The Romantic Lady
Copyright, 1920,
By George H. Doran Company
THE LONDON VENTURE
— B —
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
To
THE SISTER
of
SHELMERDENE
APOLOGIA PRO NOMINE MEO
Out of consideration (in part) to suchreaders as may read this book I have assumeda name by which they may refer to me (ifever he or she may wish to do so kindly) inthe same manner at least twice running—afeat of pronunciation which few of myEnglish acquaintances have performed withmy natal name. But there is also anotherreason, considerate of the author. I havebeen told that there are writers whose workswould have been famous if only their namescould have been familiarly pronounced—Polishand Russian writers for the most part,I gather. Since I had already taken everyother precaution but this to deserve theirmore fortunate fate, in changing my nameI have, I hope, robbed my readers of theirlast excuse for my obscurity.
Dikran Kouyoumdjian.
"Michael Arlen."
The London Venture: I
THE
LONDON VENTURE
I
MY watch has needed winding onlytwice since I left London, and already,as I sit here in the strange library ofa strange house, whose only purpose in havinga library seems to be to keep visitors likemyself quiet and out of harm's way, I findmyself looking back to those past months inwhich I was for ever complaining of thenecessity that kept me in London. How Iwould deliver myself to a congenial friendabout what men are pleased to call "theartificial necessity of living"—a cocktail,that courtesan of drinks, lent some artificiality!With what sincerity I would agree withanother's complaint of the "monotonousroutine of politeness," without indulgingwhich men cannot live decently; how I