'… If they were stood up, they wouldn't rot,' I said. The porter just chewed at his bread, and looked at me. 'The worst weather for you blokes must be rain,' I said. 'You must be head over ears in work whenever there's a downpour.' 'Folk don't forget umbrellas when it's chucking down,' he said. 'They forget 'em when it stops.' 'I see. Because then the brollies are not like… first thing on their minds.' I looked at the clock that ticked above the staff coat hooks: it was nigh on half-past five. 'You must want it pouring all the time then' I said. After a longish pause, the porter said: 'It can do just what it likes.' Behind me, I heard the sound of the rain increasing. I spied a shelf containing nothing but leathern purses and pocketbooks. I went close and saw that they were all empty. 'What's become of the money that was in these?' I asked the porter. 'Pinched,' he said, still eating. 'So you reckon the finders lift the money before bringing in the pocketbooks?' 'No,' said the porter. 'How do you account for it then?' I waited quite a while but there was no answer from the strange kid. 'Well, thanks for turning these up'1 said, tucking the portmanteau under my arm. He might have said something to that, and he might not. I turned towards the door and the rain; I opened the door. 'Items lost across all the North Eastern territories are forwarded here under a special advice if not called for after a week,' the porter said, and I stopped. He was climbing down from the high stool, and for some reason – maybe the thought of being left alone in that dismal room – was suddenly minded to chat. 'Why are some brollies kept at the front, and some at the back?' I said, letting the door close behind me. 'Paragons and silks at the rear,' he said, 'cotton brollies at the front. They would be stood up, only where would the water drain off to?' 'I never thought about that.' 'I have. All hats are kept high so as to reduce damage by pressure.' 'Eh?' I said. 'Many curious articles do come to hand,' he said, crumpling up the brown paper in which his bread had been wrapped.