The heavy gold chain across the waistcoat and the bright stone which blazed upon the finger were the natural complement of the sensuous lip and curving chin.

Such was Ezra, only child of John Girdlestone, and heir to the whole of his vast business.

Little wonder that those who had an eye to the future bent over their ledgers and worked with a vigour calculated to attract the attention of the junior partner, and to impress him with a due sense of their enthusiastic regard for the interests of the firm.
It was speedily apparent, however, that the young gentleman's estimate of their services was not entirely based upon their present performance.
With his eyes still fixed upon the almanac and a sardonic smile upon his dark face, he uttered a single word-- "Parker!" A flaxen-haired clerk, perched at the further end of the high glistening desk, gave a violent start, and looked up with a scared face.
"Well, Parker, who won ?" asked the junior partner.
"Won, sir!" the youth stammered.
"Yes, who won ?" repeated his employer.
"I hardly understand you, sir," the clerk said, growing very red and confused.
"Oh yes, you do, Parker," young Girdlestone remarked, tapping his almanac sharply with the paper-knife.

"You were playing odd man out with Robson and Perkins when I came in from lunch.

As I presume you were at it all the time I was away, I have a natural curiosity to know who won." The three unhappy clerks fixed their eyes upon their ledgers to avoid the sarcastic gaze of their employer.