"I have not seen Sheldon for the last fortnight," Mr. Orcott informed the
gentleman who brought him the document.
"Out of business for a fortnight?"
"He has not been in business for a month. His stepdaughter has been very
ill--at death's door, and all that kind of thing, and my governor was
awfully cut up about it. There used to be a couple of doctors at the
house every day, and no end of fuss. I took Sheldon his letters, and
managed matters for him here, and so on. And one fine morning my young
lady runs off and gets married on the quiet; so I suspect there was a
good deal of shamming about the illness--and those old fogies, the
doctors, winked at it. Between them all, I fancy Sheldon was completely
sold; and he has turned savage and gone off somewhere in the sulks."
"I wish he had chosen any other time for his sulks," said the holder of
the bill; "my partner and I have discounted several acceptances for him.
He gave us liberal terms, and we considered any paper of his as safe as a
Bank of England note; and now this confounded bill comes back to us
through our bankers, noted, 'Refer to drawer'--a most unpleasant thing,
you know, and very inconsiderate of Sheldon to leave us in such a fix."
"He has forgotten the bill, I suppose," said Mr. Orcott.
"Well, but you see, really now, a business man ought not to forget that
kind of thing. And so Miss Halliday has made a runaway match, has she? I
remember seeing her when I dined at Bayswater--an uncommonly fine girl.
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