"Oh! I know it's a wonderful job to have got, in a way. I suppose most
people would think me a fool to throw it up. But I can't stand abuse,
Major Neville. To be sworn at like a trooper is more than I can bear.
No gentleman would do such a thing."
"Has Ryland been swearing at you?"
She nodded.
"Of course, he's always rather irritable and short tempered. That one
expects. It's all in the day's work. But to fly into such an absolute
fury--over nothing at all. He really looked as though he could have
murdered me! And, as I say, over nothing at all!"
"Tell me about it?" I said, keenly interested.
"As you know, I open all Mr. Ryland's letters. Some I hand on to Mr.
Appleby, others I deal with myself, but I do all the preliminary
sorting. Now there are certain letters that come, written on blue
paper, and with a tiny 4 marked on the corner--I beg your pardon, did
you speak?"
I had been unable to repress a stifled exclamation, but I hurriedly
shook my head, and begged her to continue.
"Well, as I was saying, these letters come, and there are strict orders
that they are never to be opened, but to be handed over to Mr. Ryland
intact. And, of course, I always do so. But there was an unusually
heavy mail yesterday morning, and I was opening the letters in a
terrific hurry. By mistake I opened one of these letters. As soon as I
saw what I had done, I took it to Mr. Ryland and explained. To my utter
amazement he flew into the most awful rage. As I tell you, I was quite
frightened."
"What was there in the letter, I wonder, to upset him so?"
"Absolutely nothing--that's just the curious part of it. I had read
it before I discovered my mistake. It was quite short. I can still
remember it word for word, and there was nothing in it that could
possibly upset any one."
"You can repeat it, you say?" I encouraged her.
"Yes." She paused a minute and then repeated slowly, whilst I noted
down the words unobtrusively, the following:--
"DEAR SIR,--The essential thing now, I should say, is to
see the property. If you insist on the quarry being included, then
seventeen thousand seems reasonable. 11% commission too much, 4% is
ample.
"Yours truly,
"ARTHUR LEVERSHAM."