He was looking rather pale and anxious, and he went on quickly:
“Nothing wrong with ‘Welcomes,’ I hope?”
Loring smiled again.
“Nothing in the world, as far as I know,” he said gaily. “What a nervous fellow you are!”
“What an unreasonable fellow you are!” retorted Julian, the cloud vanishing from his face as if by magic. “What do you mean by dragging a poor wretch down here at this hour in the morning, whether he will or no? What’s up?”
It was some legal business, it appeared; and Loring proceeded to go into it with great circumstance. It sounded very important as he put it, but Julian took his leave, declaring gaily that he “didn’t see where the urgency came in.”
“You’re such an abominably hard-working fellow!” he said lightly.
“Perhaps!” returned Loring. “It’s not such a bad principle, and it’s an excellent character to have, let me tell you. By-the-bye, Julian,” he continued, as the young man turned away with a laugh, and laid his hand on the door, “how would you like to have a few more Welcomes?”
He rose as he spoke, and stood leaning against the mantelpiece with his back to the empty grate, confronting Julian as the young man turned sharply towards him.
“What do you mean?” said Julian. “Are there any in the market?”