Part 37 (1/2)

I'd forgotten it. I can take it away again. But if you like you can either buy it or hire it from, me.”

The girl could not have guessed it from his countenance, but Mr. Prohack was thunderstruck. She was bringing forward considerations which positively had not presented themselves to him. That she had much initiative was clear from her conduct of the previous day. She now disclosed a startling capacity for intrigue. Mr. Prohack, however, was not intimidated. The experience of an official life had taught him the value of taciturnity, and moreover a comfortable feeling of satisfaction stole over him as he realised that once again he had a secretary under his thumb. He seemed to be delightfully resuming the habits which ill-health had so ruthlessly broken.

”Mary Warburton,” said he at length.

”Certainly,” said she. ”I'll tell your chauffeur.”

”The initials will correspond--in case--”

”Yes,” said she. ”I'd noticed that.”

”We will see what your typewriting machine is capable of, and then I'll decide about it.”

”Certainly.”

”Please take down some letters.”

”Mr. Carrel Quire always told me what he wanted said, and I wrote the letters myself.”

”That is very interesting,” said Mr. Prohack. ”Perhaps you can manage to sit at the dressing-table. Mind that necklace there. It's supposed to be rather valuable. Put it in the case, and put the case in the middle drawer.”

”Don't you keep it in a safe?” said Miss Warburton, obeying.

”All questions about necklaces should be addressed direct to Mrs.

Prohack.”

”I prefer to take down on my knee,” said Miss Warburton, opening her notebook, ”if I am to take down.”

”You are. Now. 'Dear Madam. I am requested by my Lords of the Treasury to forward to you the enclosed cheque for one hundred pounds for your Privy Purse.' New line. 'I am also to state that no account of expenditure will be required.' New line. 'Be good enough to acknowledge receipt. Your obedient servant. To Miss Prohack, Grand Babylon Hotel.'

Got it? 'Dear Sir. With reference to the action inst.i.tuted by your company against Miss Mimi Winstock, and to my claim against your company under my accident policy. I have seen the defendant. She had evidently behaved in an extremely foolish not to say criminal way; but as the result of a personal appeal from her I have decided to settle the matter privately. Please therefore accept this letter as a release from all your liabilities to me, and also as my personal undertaking to pay all the costs of the action on both sides. Yours faithfully. Secretary, World's Car Insurance Corporation.' Wipe your eyes, wipe your eyes, Miss Warburton. You're wetting the notebook.”

”I was only crying because you're so kind. I know I _did_ behave in a criminal way.”

”Just so, Miss Warburton. But it will be more convenient for me and for you too if you can arrange to cry in your own time and not in mine.” And he continued to address her, in his own mind: ”Don't think I haven't noticed your aspiring nose and your ruthless little lips and your gift for conspiracy and your wonderful weakness for tears! And don't confuse me with Mr. Carrel Quire, because we're two quite different people!

You've got to be useful to me.” And in a more remote part of his mind, he continued still further: ”You're quite a decent sort of child, only you've been spoilt. I'll unspoil you. You've taken your first medicine rather well. I like you, or I shall like you before I've done with you.”

Miss Warburton wiped her eyes.

”You understand,” Mr. Prohack proceeded aloud, ”that you're engaged as my confidential secretary. And when I say 'confidential' I mean 'confidential' in the fullest sense.”

”Oh, quite,” Miss Warburton concurred almost pa.s.sionately.

”And you aren't anybody else's secretary but mine. You may pretend to be everybody else's secretary, you may pretend as much as you please--it may even be advisable to do so--but the fact must always remain that you are mine alone. You have to protect my interests, and let me warn you that my interests are sometimes very strange, not to say peculiar. Get well into your head that there are not ten commandments in my service.

There is only one: to watch over my interests, to protect them against everybody else in the whole world. In return for a living wage, you give me the most absolute loyalty, a loyalty which sticks at nothing, nothing, nothing.”

”Oh, Mr. Prohack!” replied Mary Warburton, smiling simply. ”You needn't tell me all that. I entirely understand. It's the usual thing for confidential secretaries, isn't it?”

”And now,” Mr. Prohack went on, ignoring her. ”This being made perfectly clear, go into the boudoir--that's the room through there--and bring me here all the parcels lying about. Our next task is to check the accuracy of several of the leading tradesmen in the West End.”

”I think there are one or two more parcels that have been delivered this morning, in the hall,” said Miss Warburton. ”Perhaps I had better fetch them.”