"Frankly I do!" answered Mr. Carless.
"So do I!" exclaimed Mr. Pawle. "Emphatically so!"
"In that case," said Methley, "I see no advantage in bringing him here."
"Not even anything to your own advantage?" suggested Mr. Carless, with a
keen glance which passed from one partner to the other. "You, as
reputable practitioners of our profession, don't want to be mixed up with
an impostor?"
"We should be very sorry to be mixed up in any way with an impostor, Mr.
Carless!" said Methley.
Mr. Carless pursed his lips for a moment as if he were never going to
open them again; then he suddenly relaxed them.
"I tell you what it is, gentlemen!" he said. "I'm only anticipating
matters in saying what I'm going to say, and I'm saying it because I feel
sure you are quite sincere and genuine in this affair and are being
deceived. If you will bring your client here, there are three of us in
this office who, as my old clerk has just reminded me, can positively
identify him on the instant if he is the man he claims to be. Positively,
I say, and at once! There!"
"May one ask how?" said Woodlesford.
"No!" exclaimed Mr.
Pages:
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223