As if I care who
lives or dies."
On this Skinner got up all in a hurry and offered to go into the office.
"On no account," said Mr. Hardie sharply. "I shall make my business with
you the excuse for cutting this love-nonsense mighty short. Take your
book to the desk, and seem buried in it."
He then touched the bell, and both confederates fell into an attitude:
never were a pair so bent over their little accounts--lies, like
themselves.
Instead of the heart-broken father their comedy awaited, in came the
gallant sailor with a brown cheek reddened by triumph and excitement and
almost shouted in a genial jocund voice, "How d'ye do sir? It is a long
time since I came across your hawse." And with this he held out his hand
cordially. Hardie gave his mechanically, and remained on his guard, but
somewhat puzzled. Dodd shook his cold hand heartily. "Well, sir, here I
am, just come ashore, and visiting you before my very wife; what d'ye
think of that?"
"I am highly honoured, sir," said Hardie: then, rather stiffly and
incredulously, "and to what may I owe this extraordinary preference? Will
you be good enough to state the purport of this visit--briefly--as Mr.
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