"Mary isn't merely my secretary," Dorning explained. "Her family and ours were old friends in the days when—well, when her father had his money. He lost it in Wall Street just before he died, and Mary had to go to work to support herself and her mother. It was pretty tough. She was seventeen at the time and had always had everything. Dad gave her a job here after she got out of business school. She was an art student before she studied stenography. I believe she keeps up her art lessons at night still. She has a natural aptitude for this line of work, and she is invaluable to me here. If anything happened to Mary, I don't know what I'd do."
Rodrigo wondered if Dorning was in love with this girl.
The entrance of a somewhat distraught clerk, bearing in his hand a slender porcelain vase, interrupted the conversation. The clerk approached Dorning diffidently and, somewhat embarrassed, said, "Mrs. Porter Palmer is out there, Mr. Dorning. She is interested in this vase, but she has some doubts that it is a genuine Menotto. I have assured her that it is, and she, of course, knows the reputation of our house. But she has learned that you have returned, and she says she must see you in person about the vase."
Dorning restrained, in front of the clerk, his real feelings at this news and replied, "Tell Mrs. Palmer I'll be with her directly." To Rodrigo, when the clerk had departed with the dignified unobtrusiveness characteristic of Dorning and Son clerks, John exclaimed, "Oh, bother Mrs. Porter Palmer! She's a fussy society dowager with more money and time than she knows what to do with. She is a good customer of ours, but a frightful nuisance. She knows my father socially, and she thinks that puts us all under obligations to her. Come along out with me, Rodrigo—perhaps you can impress her with your knowledge of Italian art. You'll have to meet her sooner or later anyway."
The ample and elaborately gowned form of Mrs. Porter Palmer was draped upon a chair that seemed rather too fragile to support the weight imposed upon it. She was tapping her expensively shod foot impatiently and answering the polite clerk in irritated monosyllables as John and Rodrigo came up to her.
"Ah, Mrs. Palmer, I'm glad to see you again." John smiled and shook hands. "May I present my friend, Count Torriani, who is to be associated with us here?"
Mrs. Porter Palmer's face brightened at once. The title had made a decided impression, as did the aristocratic appearance of Rodrigo and the suave manner in which he kissed her hand. Her tone was almost apologetic as she said to John, "I didn't intend to make a fuss about this vase. But it is such a little thing and you are asking such a tremendous price. I want to make sure it is genuine."
Without a word Dorning took the vase from the clerk's hand and transferred it to Rodrigo's. "Count Torriani knows Italian antiques perfectly," he explained.
Rodrigo could see at a glance the worth of the gracefully moulded porcelain, But he went through the motions of examining it critically. "I can assure you it is the work of the elder Menotto, and very rare," he gave his verdict. "I have the exact companion piece to this one at home in Italy."
"Really?" beamed Mrs. Palmer. She would have taken his word for anything at that moment. She was a fussy old grande dame who made a specialty of collecting young men and old art treasures.