"My wife wrote to you, Mr. Breitmann, yesterday, asking you to call on her."
This only seemed to exasperate Mr. Breitmann still more.
"I have no business with your wife. I am not a ladies' man. Why should I call on your wife when I have no business? What do you mean by coming here and bullying me because I won't call on your wife?"
"My wife is a very prominent person, Mr. Breitmann."
"I have seen your wife, sir, and if you wish, I will tell you what I think of her."
He hardly gave poor little Charmington time to assent to this proposition, when he continued, his voice changing from a shout to a scream:
"Sir, your wife is a fool!" Then he proceeded to crack his fingers violently, one after another. "Now, sir," he continued, "I wish you good-morning; my time is fully occupied in my businesses and in protecting my copyrights."
He was about to rush from the room.
"It's about that I wanted to see you," said Jack.
"Have you been infringing my copyrights then?" replied the other in a terrible voice.