The Regent

by Arnold Bennett

  VII

  Early on the same afternoon Edward Henry managed by a somewhatexcessive obstreperousness to penetrate once more into the privateroom of Mr. Slosson, senior, who received him in silence.

  He passed a document to Mr. Slosson.

  "It's only a copy," he said. "But the original is in my pocket, andto-morrow it will be duly stamped. I'll give you the original inexchange for the stamped lease of my Piccadilly Circus plot of land.You know the money is waiting."

  Mr. Slosson perused the document; and it was certainly to his creditthat he did so without any superficial symptoms of dismay.

  "What will Mr. Wrissell and the Woldo family say about that, do youthink?" asked Edward Henry.

  "Lady Woldo will never be allowed to carry it out," said Mr. Slosson.

  "Who's going to stop her? She must carry it out. She wants to carry itout. She's dying to carry it out. Moreover, I shall communicate it tothe papers to-night--unless you and I come to an arrangement. Andif by any chance she doesn't carry it out--well, there'll be a finesociety action about it, you can bet your boots, Mr. Slosson."

  The document was a contract made between Blanche Lady Woldo of the onepart and Edward Henry Machin of the other part, whereby Blanche LadyWoldo undertook to appear in musical comedy at any West End Theatre tobe named by Edward Henry, at a salary of two hundred pounds a week fora period of six months.

  "You've not got a theatre," said Mr. Slosson.

  "I can get half a dozen in an hour--with that contract in my hand,"said Edward Henry.

  And he knew from Mr. Slosson's face that he had won.