{"product_id":"2940016236544","title":"The Inevitable Millionaires","description":"At precisely half-past eight o'clock, on a grey February morning, two amiable-looking, middle-aged gentlemen left a medium-sized house of comfortable appearance, in the neighbourhood of Hampstead, and commenced a walk undertaken by them daily, in the interests of health, with the exception of Sundays, public holidays and a fortnight in August. There was sufficient resemblance between the two to proclaim them brothers—at first sight, indeed, they might have been taken for twins. They were both about five feet five inches in height, they both had kindly, if somewhat insignificant faces, shrewd grey eyes, and tight, firm lips. Their names were Stephen and George Henry Underwood, and their ages respectively fifty-one and forty-eight. There were many who professed to be unable to tell them apart, and the differences between them were, in fact, scarcely noticeable. Stephen's brown moustache was, perhaps, a little scantier than his brother's and the obtruding note of grey was more obvious; the hair around his ears was a little more grizzled and there was a trifle less colour in his somewhat thinner cheeks. Otherwise the likeness between them was almost remarkable. They both wore broad-toed shoes, hand-sewn to order by a bootmaker in a remote alley situated in one of the backwaters of the City, dark business suits of unfashionable cut, differing only slightly in pattern and material, collars of antiquated shape, inoffensive ties and black bowler hats. They avoided in their attire both the flamboyant splendours of the professional City man and the sporting note affected by the stockbroker and his mate. They were City merchants, and they desired to dress as such.\u003cbr\u003eThey went through their usual little programme as they turned the corner of the street into the broader thoroughfare. George Henry looked up at the skies and down at his furled umbrella. They spoke always first of the weather.\u003cbr\u003e\"The rain will keep off, I think,\" George Henry remarked, glancing from his umbrella to the sky.\u003cbr\u003e\"I hope so,\" was the amiable reply. \"There are plenty of clouds about, but they seem high.\"\u003cbr\u003e\"I wonder,\" George Henry surmised, \"at what hour Mr. Duncan will send us the balance sheet.\"\u003cbr\u003e\"He promised it by midday,\" his brother reminded him. \"If you have not returned from Mincing Lane, I shall not, of course, open it until you come.\"\u003cbr\u003e\"The result,\" George Henry observed a little nervously, \"cannot fail to be satisfactory.\"\u003cbr\u003e\"There is no doubt whatever about that,\" Stephen agreed. \"We have been very fortunate, George Henry.\"\u003cbr\u003e\"Very fortunate indeed, Stephen.\"\u003cbr\u003eThey walked steadily on until they reached the Park, which they crossed diagonally. They traversed Portland Place and the upper part of Regent Street. At Oxford Street they descended into the Tube and reached their offices in Basinghall Street as the clock was striking ten. The premises themselves were not imposing, but there was a suggestion of opulence in the spacious but murky warehouses behind. As they passed through the clerks' office they both raised their hats and said good morning, a greeting which was at once returned by three capable-looking clerks, a cashier, a manager and an office boy. Stephen glanced at one empty stool and frowned.\u003cbr\u003e\"Harold is late again, I see,\" he remarked as, arrived at their inner office, they divested themselves of their coats and hats.\u003cbr\u003eGeorge Henry sighed.\u003cbr\u003e\"I fear that his heart is not in the business,\" he said. \"However, we must make allowances. He is young, very young.\"","brand":"WDS Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47081216803056,"sku":"2940016236544","price":2.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940016236544_p0.jpg?v=1763631573","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940016236544","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}