On his return to town, Alaric, by appointment, called
on Sir Gregory. He had not seen his patron yet
since his great report on Wheal Mary Jane had been
sent in. That report had been written exclusively
by himself, and poor Neverbend had been obliged to
content himself with putting all his voluminous notes
into Tudor’s hands. He afterwards obediently
signed the report, and received his reward for doing
so. Alaric never divulged to official ears how
Neverbend had halted in the course of his descent
to the infernal gods.
‘I thoroughly congratulate you,’ said
Sir Gregory. ’You have justified my choice,
and done your duty with credit to yourself and benefit
to the public. I hope you may go on and prosper.
As long as you remember that your own interests should
always be kept in subservience to those of the public
service, you will not fail to receive the praise which
such conduct deserves.’
Alaric thanked Sir Gregory for his good opinion, and
as he did so, he thought of his new banker’s
account, and of the L300 which was lying there.
After all, which of them was right, Sir Gregory Hardlines
or Undy Scott? Or was it that Sir Gregory’s
opinions were such as should control the outward conduct,
and Undy’s those which should rule the inner
man?
VERY SAD
Norman prolonged his visit to his father considerably
beyond the month. At first he applied for and
received permission to stay away another fortnight,
and at the end of that fortnight he sent up a medical
certificate in which the doctor alleged that he would
be unable to attend to business for some considerable
additional period. It was not till after Christmas
Day that he reappeared at the Weights and Measures.
Alaric kept his appointment at Hampton, and took Charley
with him. And on the two following Saturdays
he also went there, and on both occasions Charley
accompanied him. During these visits, he devoted
himself, as closely as he could, to Mrs. Woodward.
He talked to her of Norman, and of Norman’s
prospects in the office; he told her how he had intended
to abstain from offering himself as a competitor,
till he had, as it were, been forced by Norman to
do so; he declared over and over again that Norman
would have been victorious had he stood his ground
to the end, and assured her that such was the general
opinion through the whole establishment. And
this he did without talking much about himself, or
praising himself in any way when he did so. His
speech was wholly of his friend, and of the sorrow
that he felt that his friend should have been disappointed
in his hopes.
All this had its effects. Of Norman’s rejected
love they neither of them spoke. Each knew that
the other must be aware of it, but the subject was
far too tender to be touched, at any rate as yet.
And so matters went on, and Alaric regained the footing
of favour which he had for a while lost with the mistress
of the house.
