He made a
little arrangement with the Club laundry-woman to take in his own
washing as well, gratis. Under the threat of placing the Club custom
elsewhere he concluded a number of treaties, each containing a secret
clause which referred to fifteen per cent profit for himself, with the
grocer who supplied provisions; and with other tradespeople dealing in
stationery, soap, crockery (broken crockery was a heavy item in the
accounts) and such--like Club necessaries. Next, he took the landlord in
hand. He would clear out, by God, and take more respectable premises if
the rent were not reduced by twenty per cent! Scandalous! Downright
robbery! The landlord being a reasonable sort of man, it was agreed
that the old rate should stand in the contract, while the balance of
twenty per cent found its way into Mr. Parker's pockets, and not, as
theretofore, into his own. The same with the servants. From the boy who
cleaned the rooms, and whom he changed as often as ever possible, he
exacted a monetary deposit as a guarantee of good conduct--a deposit
which was never returned, whatever his behaviour had been.
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