If she had expected Reginald to fly out of the window, or seek refuge up the chimney, at this announcement, the composure with which he received the overpowering disclosure must have considerably astonished her.
“Eh?” she said. “Eh? Do you know me now?”
“I have no doubt you are right,” said he. “We had more than a hundred orders for the globes and boards, and expect they will be delivered this week or next.”
“Oh! then you have been imposing on more than me?” said the lady, who till this moment had imagined she had been the only correspondent of the Corporation on the subject.
“We’ve been imposing on no one,” said Reginald warmly. “You have no right to say that, Mrs Wrigley.”
His honest indignation startled the good lady.
“Then why don’t you send the things?” she demanded, in a milder tone.
“There are a great many orders to attend to, and they have to be taken in order as we receive them. Probably yours came a good deal later than others.”
“No, it didn’t. I wrote by return of post, and put an extra stamp on too. You must have got mine one of the very first.”
“In that case you will be one of the first to receive your globe and board.”