He rang his office bell sharply, picking up his hat and gloves as he did so, and saying to the messenger who answered his summons:—
"Give this report to his Excellency, John, and let me have some visiting cards, will you—— No, no, not any official ones. Some with my private address on."
"Very sorry Sir, but they're all out. I ordered some more day before yesterday, Sir. They should have come by now."
"Just my luck, why didn't you attend to them earlier?"
"Isn't there one on your desk, Sir. I'm sure I saw one lying there this morning."
"Why, yes, so there was." And he turned hastily back, only to exclaim after a moment's hopeless rummaging:—
"Confound it! I must have given it to Señora De Costa!"