But the minister was so well pleased with the fact that
Barker had understood anything of what he had said, that he was
content to let the notion he had thrown out take its chance of
future effect, and rising, said briskly: "Come upstairs with me into
my study, and I will show you a picture of Agassiz. It's a very good
photograph."
He led the way out of the reception-room, and tripped lightly in his
slippered feet up the steps against which Barker knocked the toes of
his clumsy boots. He was not large, nor naturally loutish, but the
heaviness of the country was in every touch and movement. He dropped
the photograph twice in his endeavour to hold it between his stiff
thumb and finger.
Sewell picked it up each time for him, and restored it to his
faltering hold. When he had securely lodged it there, he asked
sweetly: "Did you ever hear what Agassiz said when a scheme was once
proposed to him by which he could make a great deal of money?"
"I don't know as I did," replied Barker.
"'But, gentlemen, _I've no time to make money_.'" Barker
received the anecdote in absolute silence, standing helplessly with
the photograph in his hand; and Sewell with a hasty sigh forbore to
make the application to the ordinary American ambition to be rich
that he had intended. "That's a photograph of the singer Nilsson,"
he said, cataloguing the other objects on the chimney-piece.
Pages:
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33