The Valley of Humiliation I collected some baggage and a pile of newly arrived letters from my rooms in Westminster and took a taxi to my Park Lane flat.

Usually I had gone back to that old place with a great feeling of comfort, like a boy from school who ranges about his room at home and examines his treasures.

I used to like to see my hunting trophies on the wall and to sink into my own armchairs But now I had no pleasure in the thing.

I had a bath, and changed into uniform, and that made me feel in better fighting trim.

But I suffered from a heavy conviction of abject failure, and had no share in Macgillivray's optimism.