There were
counters and desks of mahogany and brass, and clerks bent over the
desks and walked behind the counters. There was a great clock over
an inner doorway.
'Inquire for the High Priest,' whispered the Phoenix.
An attentive clerk in decent black, who controlled his mouth but
not his eyebrows, now came towards them. He leaned forward on the
counter, and the children thought he was going to say, 'What can I
have the pleasure of showing you?' like in a draper's; instead of
which the young man said--
'And what do YOU want?'
'We want to see the High Priest.'
'Get along with you,' said the young man.
An elder man, also decent in black coat, advanced.
'Perhaps it's Mr Blank' (not for worlds would I give the name).
'He's a Masonic High Priest, you know.'
A porter was sent away to look for Mr Asterisk (I cannot give his
name), and the children were left there to look on and be looked on
by all the gentlemen at the mahogany desks. Anthea and Jane
thought that they looked kind. The boys thought they stared, and
that it was like their cheek.
The porter returned with the news that Mr Dot Dash Dot (I dare not
reveal his name) was out, but that Mr--
Here a really delightful gentleman appeared. He had a beard and a
kind and merry eye, and each one of the four knew at once that this
was a man who had kiddies of his own and could understand what you
were talking about.
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