'Give you my honour I never heard of any man from Jamaica, except the man who was a brother,' replies Mortimer.
Oh, you perjured man!' This to Mortimer, with a rattle of her fan.
'Upon my life,' says Mortimer languidly, 'I find it immensely embarrassing to have the eyes of Europe upon me to this extent, and my only consolation is that you will all of you execrate Lady Tippins in your secret hearts when you find, as you inevitably will, the man from Somewhere a bore.
'No, not that place,' returns the unmoved Mortimer, 'that's where they make the Port.
'The man,' Mortimer goes on, addressing Eugene, 'whose name is Harmon, was only son of a tremendous old rascal who made his money by Dust.'
A passing remembrance of Mrs Veneering, here induces Mortimer to address his next half-dozen words to her; after which he wanders away again, tries Twemlow and finds he doesn't answer, ultimately takes up with the Buffers who receive him enthusiastically.
Mortimer refused unless they agreed to stop for supper.
Mortimer took up her tale, "in the beginning I was a greenhorn, city born and bred.
Mortimer noted her sparkling glances which took in everything, and went out of her way to show Saxon around, doing it under the guise of gleeful boastings, stating the costs of the different materials, explaining how she had done things with her own hands, such as staining the doors, weathering the bookcases, and putting together the big Mission Morris chair.
Mortimer mourned; "then I should have had the spare room I had planned--"
Mortimer was still disturbed at her inability to put them up for the night, and Saxon changed the conversation by pleading to be told more.
James Mortimer, the man of science, ask of Sherlock Holmes, the specialist in crime.
Mortimer blinked through his glasses in mild astonishment.
Mortimer, you would do wisely if without more ado you would kindly tell me plainly what the exact nature of the problem is in which you demand my assistance."
There were several Mortimers, but only one who could be our visitor.
