Rising from his seat, he put the letter back in the envelope, and placed the envelope within his letter-case.
"I'll take that letter up to Ash; I'll have a word to say to him. I wonder if he knows what sort of a ward he's got? That's the best and truest girl alive; a woman whose word is just her bond; who, when she says a thing, sticks to it like glue. And to think that I spent twenty pounds on an engagement-ring!"
He put his hands into his trousers pockets. He balanced himself upon his toes and heels.
"Twenty pounds for an engagement-ring! I wonder how much Mr. Summers intends to pay?"
The reflection angered him.
"By George, I'll let her know if she's going to pitch me overboard quite so easily as that. I'll make her marry me, or I'll know the reason why."
When he left for the City his first business was to pay a visit to Mr. Ash. He dismissed the cab at the corner of Throgmorton Street. He had not taken half a dozen steps along that rather narrow thoroughfare when a hand was laid upon his shoulder; turning, he saw Mr. Rosenbaum.
"My good friend, I have a little paper here for you."
And Mr. Rosenbaum deftly slipped a paper into his good friend's hand.
"Rosenbaum! What's this?"