He looked at George and then at the old gentleman.
‘Mr. Smith,’ said Mr. Brooks, ‘kindly go as far as Cannon Street Station, and inquire at the parcel office if there is a box for Smith & Co., from Dublin.’
George went on his errand, and the old gentleman and his visitor were left alone.
‘Well,’ said the visitor, ‘will he do?’
‘Prime,’ answered the old gentleman. ‘Green as grass. Phew, these things make me jolly hot.’
It was certainly a very extraordinary thing to do, but the aged representative of Smith & Co. did with the above observation take off his long flowing white beard and his long white hair and put them on the desk, together with the gold spectacles, and he was a different man altogether.
He had knocked quite thirty years from his age, and he didn’t look half so nice and pleasant without the gold spectacles.
‘When shall you try him?’ asked the visitor.
‘As soon as there’s a good chance,’ answered Mr. Brooks.
Mr. Brooks and the visitor had a short conversation, and then the visitor left. And Mr. Brooks put on his hair and beard, and amused himself by practising handwriting on a piece of paper.