THEY   ARRIVE	53
mg very mysterious and important, with a hint of the
"shadderer" in his manner. "Very important. That's
what he said."
"I'll bet he did/1 said Mr. Dersingham, with a grin
at the other two. "Probably wants to sell me some
ridiculous office gadget. If he did, though, he'd prob-
ably have something about it on his card. This is a
private card. Golspie, Golspie? No, I don't know him.
Look here, Stanley, just tell him I'm having a discus-
sion—no, a thingumty—a conference, just now, but if
it's something really important, not trying to sell me
typewriters and files and muck, I'll see him soon. He can
either call again or he can wait there. Tell him that."
Mr. Golspie decided to wait.
he was still waiting there, sitting in the little chair
beside the door and behind the partition, ten minutes
later. Sometimes, Stanley and Turgis and Miss Mat-
field heard him stir and clear his throat. They also
caught the fragrance of the excellent cigar he was
smoking. Its fumes seemed to turn the office into a dull
little box and their duties into the most mechanical and
trivial tasks. There was something rich and adven-
turous about that drifting luxurious smoke. It un-
settled them.
"Who is he?" Turgis whispered.  "What's he like?"
Stanley crept nearer and curved a hand round his
mouth. "He's biggish and broad and got a big mous-
tache/' he whispered in reply. "D'you know what I bet
he is?"