"Now then, which is it to be ?" he said.
"Oh, certainly, Sir; pray be seated," answered the manager in great alarm--Meeson's business was not a thing to be lightly lost.

"I will see Mr.Todd instantly," and he vanished.
Almost simultaneously with his departure an old lady was unceremoniously bundled out of an inner room, clutching feebly at a reticule full of papers and proclaiming loudly that her head was going round and round.
The poor old soul was just altering her will for the eighteenth time in favor of a brand new charity, highly recommended by Royalty; and to be suddenly shot from the revered presence of her lawyer out into the outer darkness of the clerk's office, was really too much for her.
In another minute, Mr.Meeson was being warmly, even enthusiastically, greeted by Mr.Todd himself.

Mr.Todd was a nervous-looking, jumpy little man, who spoke in jerks and gushes in such a way as to remind one of a fire-hose through which water was being pumped intermittently.
"How do you do, my dear Sir?
Delighted to have this pleasure," he began with a sudden gush, and then suddenly dried up, as he noticed the ominous expression on the great man's brow.

"I am sure I am very sorry that you were kept waiting, my dear Sir: but I was at the moment engaged with an excellent and most Christian testator."-- Here he suddenly jumped and dried up again, for Mr.Meeson, without the slightest warning, ejaculated: "Curse your Christian testator! And look here, Todd, just you see that it does not happen again.

I'm a Christian testator too; and Christians of my cut aren't accustomed to be kept standing about just like office-boys or authors.