"Do we?" I answered. "I know nothing of the kind."
"Come, come," he said, "let us talk as men of the world—in a friendly way—but as men of the world."
"If you'd kindly tell me the object of your visit, I should be obliged," I replied.
"Oh, I can quite see your point of view," he said, with an oily leer. "Miss Ormerod, being, as I say, possessed of some fortune—not so large as some people might suppose, but some fortune—her relations are naturally anxious that she should not marry without seeing a little more of the world than—shall we say?—can be seen in these flats."
"Are you incapable of saying what you mean, sir?" I inquired, with gathering suspicion.
"As a brother professional, you must know that things cannot always be put crudely," he said. "Of course, Miss Prentice is not a lady to be parsimonious where her niece is in question. At the same time, she is not a lady of unlimited means. I may, however, remind you, Mr. Arbuthnot, that a bird in the hand——"
"Do you mean," I burst out angrily, "that I am supposed to be attempting to inveigle Miss Ormerod into a marriage, and that you've come here to offer me a bribe?"
"Gently, Mr. Arbuthnot, gently," he protested.
"'WILL YOU KINDLY LEAVE THE ROOM AT ONCE?' I ROARED."