“Your Excellency will allow me to remark, that in that case you will have exceeded the estimate for the department.”
“Then we must see how we can manage with the smaller salaries. Didn’t some one die a month or two back?”
“Yes, an assistant secretary.”
“Very good; and I just heard this morning that we’ve probably lost another. Van Teuten left town quietly last night.”
“Van Teuten!” exclaimed Van Arlen, in consternation.
“Yes. Do you know anything in particular about him?”
“He came and asked me for two hundred guilders yesterday.”
“Well, why couldn’t you let him have an advance? or you might have sent him to me; if necessary, we could have helped him by getting up a collection. But you’re too busy to attend to such things; it’s a good thing we’re going to have some extra help. Good-morning, Mr Van Arlen.”
“That, too!” said Van Arlen, when he was back in his own room, and then called out to the messenger that he could see no one.
“A gentleman has been here; he said he would come back.”