Page:Chesterton - The Club of Queer Trades.djvu/57

Adventures of Major Brown Poor Brown's face was still a picture of distraction. "But I don't even begin to understand," he cried. "What bill? what blunder? what loss?"

Mr. P. G. Northover advanced in the centre of the room thoughtfully and with a great deal of unconscious dignity. On closer consideration there were apparent about him other things besides a screwed mustache, especially a lean, sallow face, hawklike, and not without a careworn intelligence. Then he looked up abruptly.

"Do you know where you are, major?" he said.

"God knows I don't," said the warrior, with fervor.

"You are standing," replied Northover, "in the office of the Adventure and Romance Agency, Limited."

"And what's that?" blankly inquired Brown.

The man of business leaned over the back of the chair and fixed his dark eyes on the other's face.

"Major," said he, "did you ever, as you 43