Explore "The Painted Veil" by William Somerset Maugham on Textopian. Read with annotations and highlights.
She sent in a little note to Charlie on which she had written: ‘Please see me. It is urgent.' A Chinese boy asked her to wait and brought the answer that Mr. Townsend would see her in five minutes. She was unaccountably nervous. When at last she was ushered into his room Charlie came forward to shake hands with her, but the moment the boy, having closed the door, left them alone he dropped the affable formality of his manner.
‘I say, my dear, you really mustn't come her in working hours. I've got an awful lot to do and we don't want to give people a chance to gossip.'