“Quite safely, sir.”
“You should have acknowledged its receipt,” said Mr. Grewgious; “business being business all the world over. However, you did not.”
“I meant to have acknowledged it when I first came in this evening, sir.”
“Not a businesslike acknowledgment,” returned Mr. Grewgious; “however, let that pass. Now, in that document you have observed a few words of kindly allusion to its being left to me to discharge a little trust, confided to me in conversation, at such time as I in my discretion may think best.”
“Yes, sir.”
“ Mr. Edwin, it came into my mind just now, when I was looking at the fire, that I could, in my discretion, acquit myself of that trust at no better time than the present. Favour me with your attention, half a minute.”
He took a bunch of keys from his pocket, singled out by the candlelight the key he wanted, and then, with a candle in his hand, went to a bureau or escritoire, unlocked it, touched the spring