"Thanks very much, Professor; congratulations upon such an event are
never too late, especially when they are sincere, as I know yours to be.
But condolence is more appropriate than congratulation just now, for I
am sorry to say that the poor child is far from well; indeed, Lady
Olivia and I are exceedingly anxious about her; so much so that we have
brought her up to town to secure the opinion of a medical specialist
upon her case, and he advises complete change of air and scene for her.
And that is what brings me to the Migrants' to-day, where, by the
greatest piece of good luck, I have found the very man--yourself,
Professor--that I was most anxious to find."
"Good!" exclaimed the professor; "you wanted to vind me, and here I am,
quide at your service, my dear Sir Reginald. Whad gan I do vor you?"
"A very great deal, if you will," answered the baronet,--"or rather, if
you have nothing particular on your hands just now, I ought to say; for
I feel sure that, if you are not otherwise engaged, I may depend upon
your falling in with my scheme, now that I have happily found you."
"Of gourse," replied the professor. "That goes midoudt zaying. Well, I
am not engaged at bresend upon anydings bardigular, excepd the
elaboration of a rather Utopian scheme for the benefit of mangind
generally, and esbecially those unfordunate beobles who, in gonsequence
of the over-bobulation of the gread zentres of indusdry, vind themselves
unable to brogure embloymend and earn a living. Bud this scheme is only
in my brain as yed,"--energetically pointing to his expansive forehead
as he spoke--"and gan be worked oudt anywhere widoud obstruction to
other projecds; so, my dear Sir Reginald, if you require my aid in any
way you may gommand me. Berhaps we may be able to help each other."
"You are, of course, more than welcome to any aid that I can afford
you," answered the "handsome baronet," as Sir Reginald Elphinstone's
friends sometimes called him--behind his back, of course. "But where
are you going?" he continued. "Anywhere in particular? If so, I will
walk a little way with you. Or, if you are not bound upon the
fulfilment of any engagement, let us go up into the smoking-room and
have a chat there."
"I am not boundt anywhere in bardigular, and the smoking-room is quide
empty, so led us go there, by all means," exclaimed the professor, as he
linked his arm in that of his companion; and together the strongly
contrasted pair wended their way through the handsome entrance-hall of
the building and up the spacious marble staircase to the cosiest
smoking-room in all London.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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