sir, after all, isn't it?"

The young man paused to take breath. His client, who had been listening
attentively in gloomy but not unappreciative silence, removed his cigar
from his mouth. He was a middle-aged American with a wife and daughters
on their way over from New York, and his business was to take a house
before they arrived. It wasn't a job he liked, but he was making the
best of it. This young man appealed to his sense of business.

"Say," he remarked, approvingly, "you've learned how to talk in your
trade!"

Stimulated by this encouragement, Alfred Burton clapped on his hat a
little more securely, took a long breath, and went at it again.

"Why, I'm giving myself a rest this morning, sir!" he declared. "I
haven't troubled to tell you more than the bare facts. This house
doesn't need any talking about--doesn't need a word said about it. Her
Ladyship's last words to us were--Lady Idlemay, you know, the owner of
the house--'Mr. Waddington and Mr. Burton,' she said--she was speaking
to us both, for the governor always introduces me to clients as being
the one who does most of the letting,--'Mr. Waddington and Mr.
Burton,' she said, 'if a tenant comes along whom you think I'd like to
have living in my rooms and using my furniture, breathing my air, so to
speak, why, go ahead and let the house, rents being shockingly low just
now, with agricultural depression and what not, but sooner than not let
it to gentlepeople, I'll do without the money,' Her Ladyship declared.
Now you're just the sort of tenant she'd like to have here. I'm quite
sure of that, Mr. Lynn. I should take a pleasure in bringing you two
together."