suavely.

The young man entered into a lively little war of words with a
yellow-haired young person near the door. Anna picked up an ancient
magazine, and began to turn over the pages in a leisurely way. The
conversation which her entrance had interrupted began to buzz again
all around her. A quarter of an hour passed. Then the inner door
opened abruptly. A tall, clean-shaven man came out and walked rapidly
through the room, exchanging greetings right and left, but evidently
anxious to avoid being detained. Mr. Earles himself stood upon the
threshold of his sanctum, the prototype of the smart natty Jew, with
black hair, waxed moustache, and a wired flower in his button-hole. A
florid-looking young woman rose up and accosted him eagerly.

"I'm next, Mr. Earles," she exclaimed. "Been sitting on the doorstep
almost for two hours."

"In a minute, in a minute," he answered, his eyes fixed upon Anna.
"Reuben, come here."

The young man obeyed the summons. His employer retreated into the
further apartment, leaving the door ajar.

"What's that young lady's name--girl in dark brown, stranger here?"
Mr. Earles asked sharply.

The youth produced a crumpled-up card from his waistcoat pocket. A
sense of impending disaster was upon him. Mr. Earles glanced at it,
and his eyes flashed with anger.

"You blithering idiot!" he exclaimed.

Mr. Earles strode into the waiting-room. His face was wreathed in
smiles, his be-ringed hand was cordially outstretched.

"My dear Miss Pellissier," he said impressively, "this is an
unexpected pleasure. Come in! Come in, do. I must apologize for my
young puppy of a clerk. If I had known that you were here you should
not have been kept waiting for a second."

It took a good deal to surprise Anna, but it was all she could do to
follow Mr. Earles with composure into the inner room. There was a
little murmur of consternation from the waiting crowd, and the florid
young woman showed signs of temper, to which Mr. Earles was absolutely
indifferent. He installed Anna in a comfortable easy chair, and placed
his own between her and the door.

"Come," he said, "this is capital, capital. It was only a few months
ago that I told you you must come to London, and you only laughed at
me. Yet here you are, and at precisely the right moment, too.
By-the-bye," he added, in a suddenly altered tone, "I hope, I
trust--that you have not entered into any arrangements with any one
here?"

"I--oh no!" Anna said