"Allen, Grant - Miss Cayley's Adventures 04 - The Adenture of the Amateur Commission Agent" - читать интересную книгу автора (Allen Grant)

His admiration was undisguised. 'Well, I do call
you a woman of business, miss,' he cried. 'You see
it at a glance. That's so. That's the right kind
of thing to rope in the Europeans. Some
originality about you. You take 'em on their own
ground. You've got the draw on them, you hev. I
like your system. You'll jest haul in the
dollars!'

'I hope so,' I said, fervently; for I had evolved
in my own mind, oh, such a lovely scheme for Elsie
Petheridge's holidays.'

He gazed at me once more. 'Ef only I could get
hold of a woman of business like you to soar
through life with me,' he murmured. I grew
interested in my shoes. His open admiration was
getting quite embarrassing. He paused a minute.
Then he went on: 'Well, what do you say to it?'

'To what?' I asked, amazed.

'To my proposition--my offer.'

'I--I don't understand,' I stammered out
bewildered. 'The 25 per cent, you mean?'

'No, the de-votion of a lifetime,' he answered,
looking sideways at me. 'Miss Cayley, when a
business man advances a proposition, commercial or
otherwise, he advances it because he means it. He
asks a prompt reply. Your time is valuable. So is
mine. Are you prepared to consider it?'

'Mr. Hitchcock,' I said, drawing back, 'I think
you misunderstand. I think you do not realise----'

'All right, miss,' he answered, promptly, though
with a disappointed air. 'Ef it kin not be
managed, it kin not be managed. I understand your
European ex-clusiveness. I know your prejudices.
But this little episode need not antagonise with
the normal course of ordinary business. I respect
you, Miss Cayley. You are a lady of intelligence,
of initiative, and of high-toned culture. I will
wish you good day for the present, without further
words; and I shall be happy at any time to receive
your orders on the usual commission.' He backed
out and was gone. He was so honestly blunt that I
really quite liked him. Next day, I bade a