FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44  
45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   >>   >|  
of seven with her finger in her mouth. The boy bowed gravely. He was a pretty little fellow with a pale oval face, arched eyebrows, promise of an aquiline nose, and two large black eyes. 'I think, sir,' said the child, 'I have the pleasure of redressing myself to Mr. Gray or Mr. Graham?' 'Graham, at your service,' said Merton, gravely; 'may I ask you and Miss Apsley to be seated?' There was a large and imposing arm-chair in green leather; the client's chair. Mr. Apsley lifted his little sister into it, and sat down beside her himself. She threw her arms round his neck, and laid her flaxen curls on his shoulder. Her blue eyes looked shyly at Merton out of her fleece of gold. The four shoes of the clients dangled at some distance above the carpet. 'You are the author of this article, I think, Mr. Graham?' said Mr. Apsley, showing his hand, which was warm, and holding out a little crumpled ball of paper, not precisely fresh. Merton solemnly unrolled it; it contained the advertisement of his firm. 'Yes,' he said, 'I wrote that.' 'You got our letters, for you answered them,' said Mr. Apsley, with equal solemnity. 'Why do you want Bats and me?' 'The lady's name is Bats?' said Merton, wondering why he was supposed to 'want' either of the pair. 'My name is Batsy. I like you: you are pretty,' said Miss Apsley. Merton positively blushed: he was unaccustomed to compliments so frank from a member of the sex at an early stage of a business interview. He therefore kissed his fair client, who put up a pair of innocent damp lips, and then allowed her attention to be engrossed by a coin on his watch-chain. 'I don't quite remember your case, sir, or what you mean by saying I wanted you, though I am delighted to see you,' he said to Mr. Apsley. 'We have so many letters! With your permission I shall consult the letter book.' 'The article says "To Parents, Guardians, Children, and others." It was in print,' remarked Mr. Apsley, with a heavy stress on "children," 'and she said you wanted _us_.' The mystified Merton, wondering who 'she' was, turned the pages of the letter book, mumbling, 'Abernethy, Applecombe, Ap. Davis, Apsley. Here we are,' he began to read the letter aloud. It was typewritten, which, when he saw his clients, not a little surprised him. 'Gentlemen,' the letter ran, 'having seen your advertisement in the _Daily Diatribe_ of to-day, May 17, I desire to express my wish to enter i
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   20   21   22   23   24   25   26   27   28   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39   40   41   42   43   44  
45   46   47   48   49   50   51   52   53   54   55   56   57   58   59   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

Apsley

 

Merton

 

letter

 
Graham
 
letters
 

wondering

 
advertisement
 

client

 

pretty

 

clients


gravely
 

article

 

wanted

 

remember

 

innocent

 
kissed
 

interview

 

business

 

member

 
compliments

allowed

 
attention
 

engrossed

 

delighted

 

Parents

 

surprised

 

Gentlemen

 
typewritten
 

express

 

desire


Diatribe

 

unaccustomed

 

Guardians

 

Children

 

consult

 

permission

 

turned

 

mumbling

 

Abernethy

 

Applecombe


mystified

 

remarked

 

stress

 

children

 

sister

 

lifted

 
leather
 

imposing

 

flaxen

 

shoulder