THE RELENTLESS CITY by E. F. Benson

Author:E. F. Benson [Benson, E. F.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9788027202621
Publisher: Musaicum Press
Published: 2017-08-05T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter XII

Table of Contents

Mr. Lewis S. Palmer was sitting at his table in the sitting-room of the quiet, modest little suite he had taken at the Carlton Hotel, and was studying with some minuteness a large ordnance map of Worcestershire. He had some dozen of the sheets arranged in front of him, and the Molesworth estate, which he had been down to see only the day before, occupied a considerable portion of the central one of them. By him was seated Bilton, who answered, usually monosyllabically, the questions which Mr. Palmer asked him from time to time. 'Yes' or 'No' was generally sufficient; occasionally he thought a moment and then said, 'I don't remember.' Of the answers he received, Lewis Palmer sometimes made a short note.

Finally, he studied the map for a considerable time in silence, and then folded up each sheet separately, and replaced them in the bookstand that stood on the table. Then he read his notes through twice and tore them up.

'Complete the purchase of the Wyfold estate as soon as possible, literally as soon as possible,' he said. 'If you can do it by half-past four this afternoon, let it be done by then, not by five.'

'It's a huge price,' remarked Bilton, 'for half a dozen unproductive farms.'

'It is a necessity,' said the other, 'and a necessity is cheap at any price. But the fact that they ask so much leads me to think they have some kind of inkling as to what I am going to do. That's why I want you to do it at once.'

He rose, and sipped the glass of milk that stood on the side-table.

'There is one more thing,' he said. 'I want someone who will give a general supervision to my affairs here, which are growing important to me. I offer you the place because I like your way of doing business.'

'How much time do you want me to give to it?' he asked.

'Roughly, two days a week, anything of emergency to be dealt with separately.'

Bilton smiled.

'You chiefly deal in emergencies,' he said.

Mr. Palmer tapped the table rather impatiently.

'What do you make a year?' he asked.

'Round about two hundred thousand dollars.'

'I guarantee you a hundred thousand,' he said, 'on the two days a week basis. If it takes you longer than that, let me know. Only my affairs come first.'

Bilton considered this a moment without the slightest trace of exultation or pleasure.

'That's right, then,' he said. 'I guess I'll go off over the Wyfold business.'

'Yes, do. I'm going to look at Seaton House. I shall be in by two. Will you lunch with me?'

'Can't say,' said Bilton. 'I'm rather busy to-day.'

Lewis Palmer continued sipping his milk in a regular, methodical manner till he had finished it, and then put on some rather shabby dogskin gloves, an extremely shiny and obviously perfectly new tall hat, and rang his hand-bell. Almost before it sounded his bedroom door opened noiselessly, and his valet stood there.

'Lunch at two,' he said. 'If Lord Keynes gets here before me, ask him to wait.

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