She was a small
elfish creature with a thin face, on the slenderest of necks. But in her
queer little countenance a pair of laughing eyes, out of all proportion
to the rest of her for loveliness and effect, gave her and kept her the
attention of the world. They lent distinction--fascination even--to a
character of simple virtues and girlish innocence.
Bobbie lounged behind her chair, his arms on the back of it. He took Sir
James's attack upon him with calm. "Shall I show him the letter of my
beastly chairman?" he said, in the girl's ear.
She nodded, and Bobbie drew from his breast-pocket a folded sheet of
blue paper, and pompously handed it to Sir James.
The letter was from the chairman of a leading bank in Berlin--a man well
known in European finance. It was couched in very civil terms, and
contained the offer to Mr. Robert Forbes of a post in the Lindner bank,
as an English correspondence clerk, at a salary in marks which, when
translated, meant about L140 a year.
Sir James read it, and handed it back. "Well, what's the meaning of
that?"
"I'm giving up the Foreign Office," said Bobbie, an engaging openness of
manner.
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