Riceyman Steps

An excerpt:On an autumn afternoon of 1919 a hatless man with a slight limp might have been observed ascending the gentle broad acclivity of Riceyman Steps which lead from King''s Cross Road up to Riceyman Square in the great metropolitan industrial district of Clerkenwell. He was rather less than stout and rather more than slim. His thin hair had begun to turn from black to grey but his complexion was still fairly good and the rich very red lips under a small greyish moustache and over a short pointed beard were quite remarkable in their suggestion of vitality. The brown eyes seemed a little small; they peered at near objects. As to his age an experienced and cautious observer of mankind without previous knowledge of this man would have said no more than that he must be past forty. The man himself was certainly entitled to say that he was in the prime of life. He wore a neat dark-grey suit which must have been carefully folded at nights a low white starched collar and a made black tie that completely hid the shirt-front; the shirt-cuffs could not be seen. He was shod in old black leather slippers well polished. He gave an appearance of quiet intelligent refined and kindly prosperity; and in his little eyes shone the varying lights of emotional sensitiveness.