"I eat Englishmen for breakfast; fe-fo-fum style." How democratic indeed these kindly, unpretentious people were! thought Thomas.

A multimillionaire as amiable as a clerk; a daughter who would have graced any court in Europe with her charm and elfin beauty.

Up to a month ago he had held all Americans in tolerant contempt.
It was as Kitty said: the real Englishman and the real American seldom met.
He did not realize as yet that his position in this house was unique.
In England all great merchants and statesmen and nobles had one or more private secretaries about.

He believed it to be a matter of course that Americans followed the same custom.

He would have been wonderfully astonished to learn that in all this mighty throbbing city of millions--people and money--there might be less than a baker's dozen who occupied simultaneously the positions of private secretary and friend of the family.