Having accomplished this feat he at once became
hilarious, and began to eat large quantities of dry bread.
Quite without false modesty in the matter of eating and drinking,
Polly made a hearty supper. Christopher ate without consciousness of
what was before him, and talked ceaselessly of his good fortune in
getting a berth at Swettenham's, the great house of Swettenham
Brothers, tea merchants.
"An enormous place--simply enormous! What do you think they pay in
rent?--three thousand eight hundred pounds a year! Could you believe
it? Three thousand eight hundred pounds! And how many people do you
think they employ? Now just guess, do; just make a shot at it!"
"How do I know? Two or three hundred, I dessay."
Christopher's face shone with triumph.
"One thousand--three hundred--and forty-two! Could you believe it?"
"Oh, I dessay," Polly replied, with her mouth full.
"Enormous, isn't it? Why, it's like a town in itself!"
Had his own name been Swettenham he could hardly have shown more
pride in these figures. When Polly inquired how much _they_ made a
year he was unable to reply with exactitude, but the mere thought of
what such a total must be all but overcame him.
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