“Yes, isn’t yours?” said Horace, in a tone that rather surprised the limb of the law.
“Mine? No. What makes you ask that?” he inquired.
“Only because I thought I’d like to know,” said Horace artlessly.
Mr Shuckleford looked perplexed. He didn’t understand exactly what Horace meant, and yet, whatever it was, it put him off the thread of his discourse for a time. So he changed the subject.
“I once thought of going into business myself,” he said; “but they seemed to think I’d do better at the law. Same time, don’t think I’m a nailer on business chaps. I know one or two very respectable chaps in business.”
“Do you?” replied Horace, with a touch of satire in his voice which was quite lost on the complacent Sam.
“Yes. Why, in our club—do you know our club?”
“No,” said Horace.
“Oh—I must take you one evening—yes, in our club we’ve a good many business chaps—well-behaved chaps, too.”
Horace hardly looked as overwhelmed by this announcement as his visitor expected.