Had he been permitted, he would have held forth to Monica by the hour on the history of the business firm which he had served for a quarter of a century.

This subject alone could animate him.

His anecdotes were as often as not quite unintelligible, save to people of City experience.

For all that Monica did not dislike the man; he was a good, simple, unselfish fellow, and to her he behaved with exaggeration of respect.
A few days later Monica had a sudden fit of illness.

Her marriage, and the long open-air holiday, had given her a much healthier appearance than when she was at the shop; but this present disorder resembled the attack she had suffered in Rutland Street.