Belgravia (Volume 61) (Paperback)

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: able condition. Mr. Duffy prepared the specification, which looked very pretty in neat handwriting interspersed with red ink, and the amount of it was the trifling sum of 487. 10s. We were naturally greatly indignant with Mr. Duffy. I went to see him on the subject, and said:? ' How, in the name of all that's businesslike or professional, Mr. Duffy, have you managed to land us in this horrible hole ?' ' Well, you see,' he replied feebly, ' there were extras and all that, and I confess I have been thoroughly deceived all along.' ' Extras be ' I said. ' You have never mentioned them until now ; and as for being deceived, you were employed for the very purpose of avoiding any such a contingency.' ' Well,' said Mr. Duffy, ' I am sure I have done my best,' and that was all the consolation he was able to afford us. We found there was no help for it but to allow Tadpole to do the work represented by the further expenditure of 4811. 10s., as any ordinary contractor would charge us a much heavier sum. Accordingly, he was again communicated with. He presented himself at the office, and as usual asked for me. ' Tadpole,' I said in my severest tones, ' you have deceived us in the most shameful manner as regards those buildings.' ' Excuse me, sir,' he replied with a dignified air, ' but I am not accustomed to this kind of language. I don't think you mean it, and if I believed you really did mean it I should resent it very strongly. I am a man who always acts straight, fair, and above- board, as you well know. It is true things have gone a little crooked, but still they will right themselves. I suppose you want me to finish the buildings. I always said you would think better of it. I am ready and willing to finish them, for I mean to see the job through; and there are v...