"What do you mean by
presuming to come to me here?" he haughtily asked.
"Well, sir, perhaps you'll tell me where I am to come, so as to get to
see you?" civilly replied the applicant, one who bore the appearance of
a tradesman. "It seems it's of no use going to your house; if I went
ten times a day, I should get the same answer--that you are not at
home."
"Just take yourself off," said Roland.
"Not till you pay me; or tell me for certain when you will pay me, and
keep your promise. I want my money, sir, and I must have it."
"We want a great many things that we can't get," returned Roland, in a
provokingly light tone. "I'll pay you as soon as I can, man; you
needn't be afraid."
"I'm not exactly afraid," spoke the man. "I suppose if it came to it,
Lady Augusta would see that I had the money."
"You hold your tongue about Lady Augusta. What's Lady Augusta to you?
Any odds and ends that I may owe, have nothing to do with Lady Augusta.
Look here, Simms, I'll pay you next week."
"You have said that so many times, Mr. Yorke."
"At any rate, I'll pay you part of it next week, if I can't the whole.
I will, upon my honour. There! now you know that I shall keep my word."
Apparently satisfied, the man departed, and Roland lounged into the
office again with the same idle movements that he had left it.
"It was that confounded Simms," grumbled he. "Jenkins, why did you say
I was in?"
"You did not tell me to say the contrary, sir.
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