Part 37 (1/2)
Mr. Waddington then, at Barbara's dictation, wrote a short note to Mrs.
Levitt inviting her to call and see him that afternoon at three o'clock.
2
At three o'clock Barbara was ready for her.
She had a.s.sumed for the occasion her War Office manner, that firm sweetness with which she used to stand between importunate interviewers and her chief. It had made her the joy of her department.
”Mr. Waddington is extremely sorry he is not able to see you himself. He is engaged with his agent at the moment.”
Mr. Waddington had, indeed, created that engagement.
”Engaged? But I have an appointment.”
”Yes. He's very sorry. He said if there was anything I could do for you--”
”Thank you, Miss Madden. If it's all the same to you, I'd much rather see Mr. Waddington himself. I can wait.”
”I wouldn't advise you to. I'm afraid he may be a long time. He has some very important business on hand just now.”
”_My_ business,” said Mrs. Levitt, ”is very important.”
”Oh, if it's only business,” Barbara said, ”I think we can settle it at once. I've had most of the correspondence in my hands and I think I know all the circ.u.mstances.”
”You have had the correspondence in your hands?”
”Well, you see, I'm Mr. Waddington's secretary. That's what I'm here for.”
”I didn't know he trusted his private business to his secretary.”
”He's obliged to. He has so much of it. You surely don't expect him to copy out his own letters?”
”I don't expect him to hand over my letters to other people to read.”
”I haven't read your letters, Mrs. Levitt. I've merely taken down his answers to copy out and file for reference.”
”Then, my dear Miss Madden, you don't know all the circ.u.mstances.”
”At any rate, I can tell you what Mr. Waddington intends to do and what he doesn't. You want to see him, I suppose, about the loan for the investment?”
Mrs. Levitt was too profoundly disconcerted to reply.
Barbara went on in her firm sweetness. ”I know he's very sorry not to be able to do more, but, as you know, he did not advise the investment and he can't possibly advance anything for it beyond the fifty pounds he has already paid you.”
”Since you know so much about it,” said Mrs. Levitt with a certain calm, subdued truculence, ”you may as well know everything. You are quite mistaken in supposing that Mr. Waddington did not advise the investment.
On the contrary, it was on his representations that I decided to invest.
And it was on the strength of the security he offered that my solicitors advanced me the money. He is responsible for the whole business; he has made me enter into engagements that I cannot meet without him, and when I ask him to fulfil his pledges he lets me down.”