Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III VINCENT CAWDOR, COMMISSION AGENT For the second time since their new association, Peter Ruff had surprised that look upon his secretary's face. This time he wheeled around in his chair and addressed her. " My dear Violet," he said,," be frank with me. What is wrong? " Miss Brown turned to face her employer. Save for a greater demureness of expression and the extreme simplicity of her attire, she had changed very little since she had given up her life of comparative luxury to become Peter Ruff's secretary. There was a sort of personal elegance which clung to her, notwithstanding her strenuous attempts to dress for her part, except for which she looked precisely as a private secretary and typist should look. She even wore a black bow at the back of her hair. " I have not complained, have I? " she asked. " Do not waste time," Peter Ruff said, coldly. " Proceed." " I have not enough to do," she said. " I do not understand why you refuse so many cases." Peter Ruff nodded. " I did not bring niy talents into this business," he said, " to watch flirting wives, to ascertain the haunts of ,gay husbands, or to detect the pilferings of servants." " Anything is better than sitting still," she protested. " I do not agree with you," Peter Ruff said. " I like sitting still very much indeed — one has time to think. Is there anything else ? " " Shall I really go on ? " she asked. " By all means," he answered. " I have an idea," she continued, " that you are subordinating your general interests to your secret enmity — to one man. You are waiting until you can find another case in which you are pitted against him." " Sometimes," Peter Ruff said, " your intelligence surprises me! " " I came to you," she continued, looking at him earnestly, " ...