E. Signals, it would
be a graceful compliment to him if we had the telephone installed. We
therefore cordially invite your co-operation so that this may take place
before his arrival.... The idea of installing a telephone in this office is
not in itself a novel one, as you may recollect that the suggestion has
cropped up in the correspondence that has passed between us...."
* * * * *
And now, as I have said, the telephone is installed. The instrument is
fashioned in a severe style (receiver and mouth-piece mounted on an ebonite
column of the Roman Doric Order), and it stands for all to see as a symbol
that in the seclusion of our offices we are in touch with the world at
large. But as a symbol only it must remain, for the voices of the outer
world that call us up as they search for other friends or obstruct us when
we in turn are, as it were, groping after ours, have already frayed the
temper of our staff. It was inevitable that under such constant irritation
these ex-Service men of ours would one day burst into strong military
idiom, so we have disconnected our telephone in order to avoid the calamity
of losing our lady-typist.
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