anyway."
"That's exactly what I said." They laughed together as if at a hilarious joke.
When he handed a glass of sherry to Miss Bateman she smiled thinly at him and said, "Thank you, Mr. Blenheim," and he thought, "That's your fourth to my knowledge and not even a sparkle in your eye." She could certainly carry it.
As he was threading his way through the groups sitting and standing about the storeroom he bumped into Tom Vosey. He, too, had a tray in his hand and he bowed to Harry, saying, "Can I press you to a drink, Sir?"
Vosey was the youngest of the directors. He had risen to where he was because he was related to Graham Hall. Nevertheless, to Harry, Tom was all right. They were buddies. And now, with a number of sherries down him, Tom was being skittish and playful; and Harry answered him in like vein. Assuming a pompous air, he said, "Thank you, my boy, thank you.
Well, just one to keep out the chill, or let's say because there won't be any bill. Hah! hah! hah 1 Doesn't sherry make you witty?
Drink it, my boy, drink it. "
Tom Vosey put out his hand and pushed Harry in the shoulder, almost upsetting him and the tray. He was spluttering as he said, "You know, that's old Walters to the tee; I could even smell the board room."
Then he added, "I say, how are we going to get home? ... We'll have to shank it, won't we?"
"I'm afraid so."
"God, I've got a mile to go. But you've got two, or more.
. -----^, ^ ^^. la^. w wuispcring now conndentiatly.
"Do these affairs bore you? Honest now, honest."
Harry considered a moment, then said thoughtfully, "Yes and no. At one time I used to look forward to them, but now ... well."
The too. I know what you mean. We enjoyed them when we were young, boy, when we were young. " Again he pushed Harry in the shoulder; then went on his way laughing.
At a given signal someone called for order and Mr. Hall said his usual few words, apologising for the absence of their esteemed head director and thanking the staff, one and all, for their faithful service to the firm of Peamarsh.
Immediately this ritual was over, Dave Rippon came up to Harry and spoke as if the altercation in the office hadn't happened.
"Well, I'm off, Harry," he said.
"Give my love to them all at home. It's a damn nuisance having to go to York on a day like this, but there it is. We let ourselves in for these things and have to stand the consequences.
Well, have a good time," he slapped Harry between the shoulders.
"And by the way, if it thaws, come down and take the car to the garage, will you?" He hiccuped slightly, then laughed as he added, "It's going to be yours anyway, so you'd better look after it... Happy Christmas."
He slapped him again between the shoulders, then cried-loudly to those about him, "Happy Christmas everybody. Happy Christmas."
"Happy Christmas, Sir. Happy Christmas, Sir."
When he came opposite to Miss Bateman he actually took her hand and shook it, saying, "A happy. Christmas and she, looking into his face, replied " A happy Christmas, Mr. Rippon. " Then waving his hand about him he went out.
"That should have given her a thrill," said Jim Whelan nonchalantly as he passed Harry, 'having your hand shaken by God. By the way, did you see him about that business? " and Harry replied, " Yes, I'll go into it after the holidays, Jim. "
"Good. Well now, I'm off an' all. Happy Christmas, Harry."
"Happy Christmas, Jim."
Ten minutes later he was back in his office. His head was buzzing. He did not know how many sherries he had got down him, at least half-a-dozen. He had never taken on that many berore. ne a oeicer gci a <-up ui ica ; juii-wti'-i>- ^>-j--^v- . ^ arrived home; it wouldn't do to greet Esther starry-eyed. He gave a little laugh to himself, then sat down at his desk and rested his head on his hand. He felt he could just drop nicely oft to sleep; but he'd better not do that, he had a trek before him.
He rose and got slowly into his outer things, looked around the office, switched
"That's exactly what I said." They laughed together as if at a hilarious joke.
When he handed a glass of sherry to Miss Bateman she smiled thinly at him and said, "Thank you, Mr. Blenheim," and he thought, "That's your fourth to my knowledge and not even a sparkle in your eye." She could certainly carry it.
As he was threading his way through the groups sitting and standing about the storeroom he bumped into Tom Vosey. He, too, had a tray in his hand and he bowed to Harry, saying, "Can I press you to a drink, Sir?"
Vosey was the youngest of the directors. He had risen to where he was because he was related to Graham Hall. Nevertheless, to Harry, Tom was all right. They were buddies. And now, with a number of sherries down him, Tom was being skittish and playful; and Harry answered him in like vein. Assuming a pompous air, he said, "Thank you, my boy, thank you.
Well, just one to keep out the chill, or let's say because there won't be any bill. Hah! hah! hah 1 Doesn't sherry make you witty?
Drink it, my boy, drink it. "
Tom Vosey put out his hand and pushed Harry in the shoulder, almost upsetting him and the tray. He was spluttering as he said, "You know, that's old Walters to the tee; I could even smell the board room."
Then he added, "I say, how are we going to get home? ... We'll have to shank it, won't we?"
"I'm afraid so."
"God, I've got a mile to go. But you've got two, or more.
. -----^, ^ ^^. la^. w
"Do these affairs bore you? Honest now, honest."
Harry considered a moment, then said thoughtfully, "Yes and no. At one time I used to look forward to them, but now ... well."
The too. I know what you mean. We enjoyed them when we were young, boy, when we were young. " Again he pushed Harry in the shoulder; then went on his way laughing.
At a given signal someone called for order and Mr. Hall said his usual few words, apologising for the absence of their esteemed head director and thanking the staff, one and all, for their faithful service to the firm of Peamarsh.
Immediately this ritual was over, Dave Rippon came up to Harry and spoke as if the altercation in the office hadn't happened.
"Well, I'm off, Harry," he said.
"Give my love to them all at home. It's a damn nuisance having to go to York on a day like this, but there it is. We let ourselves in for these things and have to stand the consequences.
Well, have a good time," he slapped Harry between the shoulders.
"And by the way, if it thaws, come down and take the car to the garage, will you?" He hiccuped slightly, then laughed as he added, "It's going to be yours anyway, so you'd better look after it... Happy Christmas."
He slapped him again between the shoulders, then cried-loudly to those about him, "Happy Christmas everybody. Happy Christmas."
"Happy Christmas, Sir. Happy Christmas, Sir."
When he came opposite to Miss Bateman he actually took her hand and shook it, saying, "A happy. Christmas and she, looking into his face, replied " A happy Christmas, Mr. Rippon. " Then waving his hand about him he went out.
"That should have given her a thrill," said Jim Whelan nonchalantly as he passed Harry, 'having your hand shaken by God. By the way, did you see him about that business? " and Harry replied, " Yes, I'll go into it after the holidays, Jim. "
"Good. Well now, I'm off an' all. Happy Christmas, Harry."
"Happy Christmas, Jim."
Ten minutes later he was back in his office. His head was buzzing. He did not know how many sherries he had got down him, at least half-a-dozen. He had never taken on that many berore. ne a oeicer gci a <-up ui ica ; juii-wti'-i>- ^>-j--^v- . ^ arrived home; it wouldn't do to greet Esther starry-eyed. He gave a little laugh to himself, then sat down at his desk and rested his head on his hand. He felt he could just drop nicely oft to sleep; but he'd better not do that, he had a trek before him.
He rose and got slowly into his outer things, looked around the office, switched
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