Consequently, his first thought, when he saw Lilian Rosenberg's name
on the form the commissionaire presented him, was "Is she pretty?" And
the first thing he said to himself directly the door opened to admit
her was, "By Jove! she is."
Then he assumed an air more suited to a partner in a big London firm,
and flourishing a richly bejewelled hand, said "Pray take a seat,
madam. What can I do for you?"
"I want you to tell me the meaning of these verses," Lilian Rosenberg
said, handing him two sheets of foolscap and then sitting down. "They
were suggested to me in my sleep--in other words, I dreamed them."
"You dreamed them, did you!" Kelson said, noticing with approval that
the girl had well-kept white hands, and that her clothes, though not
particularly expensive, were _chic_, and up-to-date. "Do you want me
only to interpret this poem, or shall I tell you something about
yourself first?"
"By all means tell me something about myself first--if you can,"
Lilian Rosenberg said. "I want to get as much as I can out of you.
Your fees are exorbitant."
"Very well, then," Kelson rejoined with a smile. "Don't blame me if I
tell you too much. You were born at sea. Being a troublesome girl at
home, you were sent to a boarding-school, where you distinguished
yourself in various ways, and last but not least, by making the
headmistress--a married woman--desperately jealous. This led to your
being removed.
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