“I hope, Sir, that I am not taking up your valuable time. You British noblemen have your valuable time, I know, as well as we business men.”
“No, Sir, no, Sir, not at all,” said Potts, evidently greatly delighted at being considered a British nobleman.
“Well, Sir John—or is it my lord?” said Brandon, interrogatively, correcting himself, and looking inquiringly at Potts.
“Sir John’ll do,” said Potts.
“Well, Sir John. Being in England on business, I came to ask you a few questions about a matter of some importance to us.”
“Proceed, Sir!” said Potts, with great dignity.
“There’s a young man that came into our employ last October whom we took a fancy to, or rather my senior did, and we have an idea of promoting him. My senior thinks the world of him, has the young man at his house, and he is even making up to his daughter. He calls himself Brandon—Frank Brandon.”
At this Potts started from an easy lounging attitude, in which he was trying to “do” the British noble, and with startling intensity of gaze looked Brandon full in the face.
“I think the young man is fairish,” continues Brandon, “but nothing extraordinary. He is industrious and sober, but he ain’t quick, and he never had any real business experience till he came to us. Now, my senior from the very first was infatuated with him, gave him a large salary, and, in spite of my warnings that he ought to be cautious, he wants to make him head-clerk, with an eye to making him partner next year. And so bent on this is he that I know he would dissolve partnership with me if I refused, take the young man, let him marry his daughter, and leave him all his money when he dies. That’s no small sum, for old Mr. Beamish is worth in real estate round Cincinnati over two millions of dollars. So, you see, I have a right to feel anxious, more especially as I don’t mind telling you, Sir John, who understand these matters, that I thought I had a very good chance myself with old Beamish’s daughter.”
Brandon spoke all this very rapidly, and with the air of one who was trying to conceal his feelings of dislike to the clerk of whom he was so jealous. Potts looked at him with an encouraging smile, and asked, as he stopped,