Mrs. Darco got up and walked soberly upstairs.
‘It is klopulus hysteriga,’ said Mr. Darco, with a startling calm. ‘And that is the only way to dreat it But I will not haf my babers mettled.’
Then more dictation, until Paul’s mind was crossed by a sudden recollection.
‘I beg your pardon, sir,’ he said, diving his hand into his pocket. ‘I forgot to give you the change out of that five-pound note.’
‘Keep it,’ said Darco. ‘You will haf to look resbegdable if you stay here. You will haf to puy things.’
‘I don’t like to take it, sir, until I have earned it.’
‘Now,’ said Darco, ‘who do you subbose you are? If you want to stob here, you will do as you are dold to do. I am Cheorge Dargo. I do not sbeak to beobles dwice.’
‘Oh, very well, sir,’ said Paul, and went on writing from dictation.
‘Now,’ said Darco, ‘you haf got all the attresses at the foot of the ledders. Attress an envelope for each ledder, and leave them all oben for my signature. I am going to zleep for half an hour.’
He plunged into an armchair, closed his eyes, and in a minute he was snoring regularly and deeply. Paul performed his task, and sat idle for a time. At the end of the stipulated half-hour Darco ceased to snore, opened his eyes, yawned and stretched as if he longed to fall in pieces, and instantly fell to work again. He made Paul read aloud the whole afternoon’s correspondence, signed each sheet in a hand of clerk-like precision, but with a great deal more than clerk-like character in it, saw all the letters and envelopes stamped, rang the bell, and sent his correspondence to the post.