"
The departure, it was agreed upon, should take place late on Friday
afternoon. On Friday, at half past eleven, Randolph at his office in the
city, received a long-distance call from Churchton. Cope announced, with a
breathless particularity not altogether disassociated from self-conscious
gaucherie, that he should be unable to go. Some unexpected work had been
suddenly thrown upon him.... He rather thought that one or two of his
family might be coming to town for over Sunday....
The telephone, as a conveyor of unwelcome message, strikes a medium between
the letter by mail and the face-to-face interview. If it does not quite
give chance for the studied guardedness and calculated plausibility of the
one, it at least obviates some of the risk involved in personal presence
and in the introduction of contradictory evidence often contributed by
manner and by facial expression. And a long distance interview must be
brief,--at least there can be no surprise, no indignation, if it is made
so.
"Very well," said Randolph, in reply to Cope's hurried and indistinct
words. "I'm sorry," he added, and the brief talk was over.
Pages:
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164