"Are there any left?"
"Any of the suits? Oh yes, I expect so. We had a large number."
"Could I--can you show me one?"
"Unfortunately I haven't got them here; they are all in London."
"How unfortunate! I did so want to get one."
Then he perused the paper again.
"How soon could I have one?" he said.
"Oh very soon now; before Christmas certainly," replied Reginald.
"You are sure?"
"Oh yes. They will all be delivered before then."
"And have you had many orders?" said the clergyman.
"A great many," said Reginald.
"Hundreds, I daresay. There are many to whom it would be a boon at this
season to get so cheap an outfit."
"Two hundred, I should say," said Reginald. "Would you like to leave an
order with me?"
"Two hundred! Dear me! And did they all send the two pounds, as stated
here, along with their order?"
"Oh yes. Some sent more," said Reginald, quite thankful to have some
one to talk to, who did not regard him either as a fool or a knave.
"It must have been a very extensive bankrupt stock you acquired," said
the clergyman musingly. "And were all the applicants clergymen like
myself?"
"Nearly all."
"Dear me, how sad to think how many there are to whom such an
opportunity is a godsend! We are sadly underpaid, many of us, Mr
Reginald, and are apt to envy you gentlemen of business your comfortable
means. Now you, I daresay, get as much as three or four of us poor
curates get together."
"I hope not," said Reginald with a smile.
"Well, if I even had your £200 a year I should be thankful," said the
poor curate.
"But I haven't that by £50," said Reginald. "Shall I put you down for a
complete suit, as mentioned in the circular?"
"Yes, I'm afraid I cannot well do without it," said the other.
"And what name and address?" said Reginald.
"Well, perhaps the simplest way would be, as I am going back to London,
for you to give me an order for the things to present at your depot
there. It will save carriage, you know."
"Very well," said Reginald, "I will write one for you. You notice,"
added he, "that we ask for £2 with the order."
"Ah, yes," said the visitor, with a sigh, "that appears to be a stern
necessity. Here it is, Mr Reginald."
"Thank you," said Reginald. "I will write you a receipt; and here is a
note to Mr John Smith, at Weaver's Hotel, London, who has charge of the
clothing. I have no doubt he will be able to suit you with just what
you want."
"John Smith? I fancy I have heard his name somewhere. Is he one of
your principals--a dark tall man?"
"I have never seen him," said Reginald, "but all our orders go to him
for execution."
"Oh, well, thank you very much. I am sure I am much obliged to you.
You seem to be single-handed here. It must be hard work for you."
"Pretty hard sometimes."
"I suppose clothing is what you chiefly supply?"
"We have also been sending out a lot of globes and blackboards to
schools."
"Dear me, I should be glad to get a pair of globes for our parish
school--very glad. Have you them here?"
"No, they are in London too."
"And how do you sell them? I fear they are very expensive."
"They cost £3 the set, but we only ask £2 with the order."
"That really seems moderate. I shall be strongly tempted to ask our
Vicar to let me get a pair when in London. Will Mr Smith be able to
show them to me?"
"Yes, he is superintending the sending off of them too."
"How crowded Weaver's Hotel must be, with so many bulky articles!" said
the curate.
"Oh, you know, I don't suppose Mr Smith keeps them there; but he lives
there while he's in town, that's all. Our directors generally put up at
Weaver's Hotel."
"I should greatly like to see a list of the directors, if I may," said
the clergyman. "There's nothing gives one so much confidence as to see
honoured names on the directorate of a company like yours."
"I can give you a list if you like," said Reginald.
"I daresay you know by name the Bishop of S--, our chairman?"
"To be sure, and--dear me, what a very good list of names! Thank you,
if I may take one of these, I should like to show it to my friends.
Well, then, I will call on Mr Smith in London, and meanwhile I am very
much obliged to you, Mr Reginald, for your courtesy. Very glad to have
made your acquaintance. Good afternoon."
And he shook hands cordially with the secretary, and departed, leaving
Reginald considerably soothed in spirit, as he reflected that he had
really done a stroke of work for the Corporation that day on his own
account.
It was well for his peace of mind that he did not know that the
clergyman, on turning the corner of Shy Street, rubbed his hands merrily
together, and said to himself, in tones of self-satisfaction,--
"Well, if that wasn't the neatest bit of work I've done since I came on
the beat. The innocent! He'd sit up, I guess, if he knew the nice
pleasant-spoken parson he's been blabbing to was Sniff of the detective
office. My eye--it's all so easy, there's not much credit about the
business after all. But it's pounds, shillings and pence to Sniff, and
that's better!"