His different official positions naturally overlapped and brought him into contact with himself from a variety of angles.

Thus he sold himself hymn books at a price per thousand, made as a business favour to himself, negotiated with himself the purchase of the ten-thousand-dollar organ (making a price on it to himself that he begged himself to regard as confidential), and as treasurer of the college he sent himself an informal note of enquiry asking if he knew of any sound investment for the annual deficit of the college funds, a matter of some sixty thousand dollars a year, which needed very careful handling.

Any man--and there are many such--who has been concerned with business dealings of this sort with himself realizes that they are more satisfactory than any other kind.
To what better person, then, could the rector of St.Asaph's bring the quarterly accounts and statements of his church than to Mr.Furlong senior.
The outer door was opened to the rector by a sanctified boy with such a face as is only found in the choirs of the episcopal church.

In an outer office through which the rector passed were two sacred stenographers with hair as golden as the daffodils of Sheba, copying confidential letters on absolutely noiseless typewriters.

They were making offers of Bibles in half-car-load lots at two and a half per cent reduction, offering to reduce St.Mark by two cents on condition of immediate export, and to lay down St.John f.o.b.San Francisco for seven cents, while regretting that they could deliver fifteen thousand Rock of Ages in Missouri on no other terms than cash.
The sacred character of their work lent them a preoccupation beautiful to behold.
In the room beyond them was a white-haired confidential clerk, venerable as the Song of Solomon, and by him Mr.Fareforth Furlong was duly shown into the office of his father.
"Good morning, Edward," said Mr.Furlong senior, as he shook hands.