He busied himself behind his secretary, rustling papers and making notes, and now and then looking at me and tapping his teeth with a heavy gold pencil-case, while I furtively watched him and wondered how he managed to make his jet black hair so shiny, and why it was he spoke as if he had been poking cottonwool up his nose, till it suddenly occurred to me that he must be a German. "Ah!" he said, at last; "let me see--let me see--let me see--see--see. Mr Lister quite well?" "Yes, sir; quite well, thank you." "That's right. Let me see--let me--how's business?" "Oh! we've been very busy, sir. The men have often had to stop up all night to get things finished." "Have they really, though?" he said, nodding and smiling; "and did you stay up, too?" "No, sir; I read for Mr Jabez Rowle, and he said he wouldn't sit up all night and upset himself for anybody." "Mr Jabez Rowle is quite right, my lad." "He said, sir, his work was so particular that after he had been correcting for twelve hours his eyes and mind were exhausted, and he could not do his work properly." "Mr Jabez Rowle is a man of business, my lad, evidently. And Mr Lister, is he pretty busy?" "I think he comes to the office every day." "Have a glass of wine, my lad," he said, getting up and taking a decanter, glass, and a dish of biscuits from a cellaret. "No. Good sherry won't hurt you. Take some biscuits, then." I took some of the sweet biscuits, and Mr Brandsheim nodded approval. "I won't keep you long," he said; "but I must compare these papers. You are not going anywhere else, I suppose?" "Yes, sir; I am going up to Westmouth Street, Cavendish Square." "Indeed! Hah! that's a good walk for you; or, no, I suppose Mr Lister told you to take a cab?" "No, sir," I said colouring; "I am going to walk." "Oh, absurd! Too far. Lawrence," he cried, after touching a bell, and the boy clerk appeared, "have a cab to the door in ten minutes." "Yes, sir." "That will pay for the cab, my lad," continued Mr Brandsheim, slipping a couple of shillings into my hand. "I must keep you waiting a little while. Let me see--let me see--you didn't go to the races, I suppose?" "Oh no, sir." "Mr Ruddle and Mr Lister did, eh?" "Mr Lister did, sir, I believe. Mr Ruddle never goes, I think." "Doesn't he, though? How strange! I always go. Let me see--five hundred and sixty-six is--is--So Mr Lister's going to be married, eh?" "Yes, sir, I believe so." "That's right. Everybody should marry when the time comes. You will some day. I hope the lady's young and rich." "She's beautiful, sir," I said, with animation, feeling sorry, though, the next moment, for I did not like the idea of this man being so interested in her. "Is she, though?" he said insidiously. "But you've not seen her." "Oh yes, sir, more than once."