'Oh come in, Miss Wharton. I am late this morning, and your letters are not ready for you yet,' he replied.
'I should like to speak to you before you open them, if you please,' she said.
'Certainly, come in and sit down.—I'll see you in a few minutes, Leighton,' he added to the head-clerk.
'Excuse me, sir, but I want to speak to you too, and perhaps my twenty-five years' service may give me the right of precedence,' said Mr. Leighton, who was not very tactful.
'Not of a lady, Leighton. I expect your business can wait,' said Mr. Jones, turning civilly to Stella.
'I'm afraid it can't, sir; it has to do with Miss Wharton'——he began.
Stella had always thought the junior partner one of the easiest-going and most good-tempered of men, and she was startled by the look of anger that came into his face and his stern voice as he replied, 'You can have nothing to do with this lady. I thought I made that understood.—I hope you have not been annoyed in any way?' he continued to Stella.
But Stella, though she was annoyed with the senior clerk for his persistence, and rather angry that he should be there to complain of her, was too just not to know that it was her own fault, and she said in her proud way, 'Not in the least, thank you. On the contrary, I am afraid I annoyed your clerk by asking for your letters. I did not know it was against the rules.'
'So it is, Mr. Jones, without your authority,' began Mr. Leighton, anxious to defend himself.
But Mr. Jones cut him short. 'It's all right, Leighton; I quite understand how the mistake arose. Miss Wharton wished to get on with her letters; and, knowing she has our complete confidence, she thought she could ask for such a simple thing. If she ever makes any request in future, remember she has my authority,' he said.