How was he to pay for more buildings? He
must put him off, or let him go.
Just then a sharp sound caught his ear, that of an electric bell. It
came from the telephone which, since he had been a member of a City
firm, he had caused to be put into Yarleys at considerable expense in
order that he might be able to communicate with the office in London.
"Were they calling him up from force of habit?" he wondered. He went to
the instrument which was fixed in a little room he used as a study, and
took down the receiver.
"Who is it?" he asked. "I am Yarleys. Alan Vernon."
"And I am Barbara," came the answer. "How are you, dear? Did you sleep
well?"
"No, very badly."
"Nerves--Alan, you have got nerves. Now although I had a worse day than
you did, I went to bed at nine, and protected by a perfect conscience,
slumbered till nine this morning, exactly twelve hours. Isn't it clever
of me to think of this telephone, which is more than you would ever have
done? My uncle has departed to London vowing that no letter from you
shall enter this house, but he forgot that there is a telephone in
every room, and in fact at this moment I am speaking round by his
office within a yard or two of his head.
Pages:
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145