Читать книгу The £1,000,000 bank-note, and other new stories онлайн

21 страница из 31

‘Portia, dear, would you mind going with me that day, when I confront those old gentlemen?’

She shrank a little, but said:

‘N-o; if my being with you would help hearten you. But—would it be quite proper, do you think?’

‘No, I don’t know that it would; in fact, I’m afraid it wouldn’t; but, you see, there’s so much dependent upon it that——’

‘Then I’ll go anyway, proper or improper,’ she said, with a beautiful and generous enthusiasm. ‘Oh, I shall be so happy to think I’m helping.’

‘Helping, dear? Why, you’ll be doing it all. You’re so beautiful, and so lovely, and so winning, that with you there I can pile our salary up till I break those good old fellows, and they’ll never have the heart to struggle.’

Sho! you should have seen the rich blood mount, and her happy eyes shine!

‘You wicked flatterer! There isn’t a word of truth in what you say, but still I’ll go with you. Maybe it will teach you not to expect other people to look with your eyes.’

Were my doubts dissipated? Was my confidence restored? You may judge by this fact: privately I raised my salary to twelve hundred the first year on the spot. But I didn’t tell her; I saved it for a surprise.