He had expected to find a man, but it was his own daughter, Nella
Racksole, upon whom he had laid angry hands.
Chapter Twenty-Three FURTHER EVENTS IN THE CELLAR
'WELL, Father,' Nella greeted her astounded parent. 'You should
make sure that you have got hold of the right person before you
use all that terrible muscular force of yours. I do believe you have
broken my shoulder bone.' She rubbed her shoulder with a comical
expression of pain, and then stood up before the two men. The
skirt of her dark grey dress was torn and dirty, and the usually trim
Nella looked as though she had been shot down a canvas
fire-escape. Mechanically she smoothed her frock, and gave a
straightening touch to her hair.
'Good evening, Miss Racksole,' said Felix Babylon, bowing
formally. 'This is an unexpected pleasure.' Felix 's drawing-room
manners never deserted him upon any occasion whatever.
'May I inquire what you are doing in my wine cellar, Nella
Racksole?' said the millionaire a little stiffly He was certainly
somewhat annoyed at having mistaken his daughter for a criminal;
moreover, he hated to be surprised, and upon this occasion he had
been surprised beyond any ordinary surprise; lastly, he was not at
all pleased that Nella should be observed in that strange
predicament by a stranger.
'I will tell you,' said Nella. 'I had been reading rather late in my
room - the night was so close.
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