"Hurt, you mean? No, no, my boy—but I've been had all the same.... Well, never mind. What with the Spaniard, and now the widow, I should say he'd soon find he'd got his 'hands full.'"
"Well, here's to the happy pair!"
"Oh, by all means. But can you tell me, Vindt, how he managed it? I'd give five bob to have heard him in the act. Hermansen proposing...."
"Oh, that's easy enough. This is the style." Vindt buttoned up his coat, put his stick under his arm and held his hands behind his back.
"Honoured Madam, allow me to draw upon your indulgence to the extent of craving your protection. I am not altogether a worthless document, have never before been discounted for anyone's account, but have lain untouched as a sole bill of exchange in my portfolio. Having ascertained that you had established yourself here, I ventured, honoured Madam, to apply to you, with a view to learn how far you might be disposed to open a joint account, free of all commission, to our mutual advantage."
"Bravo, Vindt! I'll take my oath it's the first time in his life he's ever done anything free of all commission—poor devil, I declare I'm almost sorry for him myself."
They talked over the affair of the engagement for some time, and Holm grew so thoroughly cheerful after a while that Vindt was convinced his heart was not involved.
"Holm, will you do me a favour?" Vindt judged that Holm was now in the best of tempers, and proposed to utilise the opportunity. He was anxious to lay hands on a couple of hundred pounds. It was worth trying at any rate.
"Well, what is it?"
"Give me your signature on the back of a piece of paper, that's all. A couple of hundred."